The Internet: In Case You Missed It: the US Congress Takes Your Internet Privacy - by Kristina Chew

To the disappointment of advocates for civil liberties and internet freedom, the controversial Cyber Intelligence and Protection Act (CISPA) passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday by a vote of 288-127. 196 Republicans voted for the measure and almost half the House Democrats.

Few would dispute that cybersecurity is not a concern. A rapid flurry of recent cyberattacks of government and corporate websites has highlighted the issue. But as Internet security experts argue, CISPA approaches the problem in a wrongheaded manner, allowing companies to share information to make their networks more secure but at a cost to users’ rights.

To protect the U.S. against hackers, CISPA allows companies, including internet service providers, to share information, the better to coordinate efforts in the event of a cyberattack. But CISPA is vague about precisely what sort of information will be shared. As a result, “in theory everything from e-mails to medical records could end up being shipped to intelligence agencies, even if it is not needed,” the Economist points out.

Read more: In Case You Missed It: Congress Takes Your Internet Privacy | Care2 Causes