Resurgence of Kill Switch Legislation

[scribblet]

Here we go, but I thought they allready had a kill switch ! It makes sense to be able to shut down cyber threats, but I suppose it could also be used for nefarious reasons.

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/01/kill-switch-legislation/

Legislation granting the president internet-killing powers is to be re-introduced soon to a Senate committee, the proposal’s chief sponsor told Wired.com on Friday.

The resurgence of the so-called “kill switch” legislation came the same day Egyptians faced an internet blackout designed to counter massive demonstrations in that country.

The bill, which has bipartisan support, is being floated by Sen. Susan Collins, the Republican ranking member on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The proposed legislation, which Collins said would not give the president the same power Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak is exercising to quell dissent, sailed through the Homeland Security Committee in December but expired with the new Congress weeks later.

The bill is designed to protect against “significant” cyber threats before they cause damage, Collins said

cont....

[GostHacked]

We saw the rhetoric of the kill switch being brought up just as the Egyptian crisis was happening.

It can and will happen eventually in the US .... Canada, Europe ..ect ... the hardware and such has been in place for some time to accomplish all this ... they are ready to cut all of us off if there is ever revolution within the US, or canada or europe.

[fellowtraveller]

It can and will happen eventually in the US .... Canada, Europe ..ect ... the hardware and such has been in place for some time to accomplish all this ... they are ready to cut all of us off if there is ever revolution within the US, or canada or europe.

What do you mean, 'can and will'?

The circumstances required for action are well short of anything as dramatic as revolution.

For example, terrorist bombs are often set off with cell phone signals.

In both the London and Madrid transit bombings, the first thing authorities did after the fatal blasts was to shut down all cell towers, in case more bombs were planted. Lack of towers means lack of capability t signal bombs, and the cops have their own communication networks independent of ours.