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Stallman: CISPA 'nearly abolishes' the right not to be unreasonably searched

Published time: April 27, 2012 19:58
Edited time: April 28, 2012 00:49
Richard Stallman (AFP Photo / Francois Guillot)
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Controversial online security bill CISPA is two steps away from becoming a law. Software freedom activist Richard Stallman says Internet users should beware, as the government is a much bigger threat than any individual hacker.

“What CISPA says as passed by the House of Representatives is any ISP, any website, any company that has some of your data in it can voluntarily hand it over to the government for a wide range of reasons,” and it's up to the government to interpret it however they see fit, the father of the free software philosophy explained.

“So if they see the slightest bit that they think is odd in your email, they can hand it over to the government. And if the government says it has something to do with national security – it is very easy to say that, whether it’s true or not – then the government can study it for any purpose. This nearly abolishes people’s right not to be unreasonably searched.”

­The CISPA battleground in numbers

­Stallman urged people to protect their right to Internet privacy, adding that precautions should be taken on both individual and federal levels.

“If you store any data in a US company, that company – with few exceptions – is legally required to hand that data over to US government without even a search warrant, so I think both individuals and governments should take precautions to make sure that their citizens’ data is not being handed over to US companies or their foreign subsidiaries, which are also subject to that same hypocritically named Patriot Act," he warned.

Stallman also said that CISPA is essentially different from the recently defeated SOPA, as the latter was pushed by the publishing industry to prevent illegal file sharing, while CISPA is driven by so-called cyber security.

“Cyber security is not an invalid goal – but of course, it doesn't justify doing terrible harm just because you are doing it in the name of a valid goal,” the activist  warned.

When asked if Obama will go through with his promise to veto the bill, Stallman said that it's “unusual for Obama to stand for human rights,” but that he would be glad if the president does in fact veto the bill.

On Thursday the House of Representatives approved CISPA in an unexpected last minute vote. The bill is now set to go to the Senate, and then to President Barack Obama, who can either sign it into law or veto it.

Comments (14)

jamvaru 21.08.2012 21:18

http://politicalpose r.tumblr.com/

(i decided to repost this as the first try botched all the formatting, please delete the previous, tyvm)

remembe r, it is not 'the government' that is the problem, but the people who are in charge of it; just like 'guns don't kill people, people kill people'

there is a group of people who want to have more power at the expense of the average person who does not fully understand the severity of the danger they are facing;  when confronted with the danger, they doubt and disbelieve, as a mental defense to overwhelming overload of negative information; eventually they come to believe they should do 'something'

t he number one problem is we are divided by those who have the power to pull our strings and push our buttons; some are convinced anyone who isn't against abortion is evil and the 'enemy', while others are convinced anyone who isn't for abortion is evil and the 'enemy', just to name one such example of a divisive issue;  rational people know that we must come together and put aside our differences if they cannot be resolved

but that is the real trick, isn't it?  how can we unite our disparate selves in opposition to our common enemy?  especially when we do not know who that enemy really is?  all we really understand is 'them'

'they' are the enemy; not all rich people, but they certainly have money; not all people in positions of power, but they do have power...

... the good news is, evil outs itself;  it really isn't as good as good is, so it makes stupid mistakes, like GMO; gmo is obviously stupid, and stupidly obvious; it is clear that anyone who supports or is involved with gmo in any way is evil or has been corrupted by evil influence

... the really good news is that good IS better than evil, in nearly every way (except for being good at being evil, of course); and God does win, if you let him into your heart

Jesus is Love

0

Undo

jamvaru 21.08.2012 21:16

http://politicalpose r.tumblr.com/remembe r, it is not 'the government' that is the problem, but the people who are in charge of it; just like 'guns don't kill people, people kill people'there is a group of people who want to have more power at the expense of the average person who does not fully understand the severity of the danger they are facing;  when confronted with the danger, they doubt and disbelieve, as a mental defense to overwhelming overload of negative information; eventually they come to believe they should do 'something'the number one problem is we are divided by those who have the power to pull our strings and push our buttons; some are convinced anyone who isn't against abortion is evil and the 'enemy', while others are convinced anyone who isn't for abortion is evil and the 'enemy', just to name one such example of a divisive issue;  rational people know that we must come together and put aside our differences if they cannot be resolvedbut that is the real trick, isn't it?  how can we unite our disparate selves in opposition to our common enemy?  especially when we do not know who that enemy really is?  all we really understand is 'them''they' are the enemy; not all rich people, but they certainly have money; not all people in positions of power, but they do have power... ... the good news is, evil outs itself;  it really isn't as good as good is, so it makes stupid mistakes, like GMO; gmo is obviously stupid, and stupidly obvious; it is clear that anyone who supports or is involved with gmo in any way is evil or has been corrupted by evil influence... the really good news is that good IS better than evil, in nearly every way (except for being good at being evil, of course); and God does win, if you let him into your heart
Jesus is Love

0

Undo

billybones 28.04.2012 12:00

"Gulag USA" is now ready for its inmates. "Intolerant desenters WILL NOT" be accomadated.

+7

Undo

View all comments (14)
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