On Thursday the House passed CISPA, the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, a controversial cybersecurity bill that would make it easier for email and Internet service providers to share users’ personal information with the federal government.
The bill passed by a vote of 288-127, with 92 Democrats backing it. The legislation will now head to the Senate, where it’s prospects for success are a bit murkier – a previous version of the legislation passed the House but died in the Senate last year. Obama has already threatened to veto it if it reaches his desk.
From CNET:
CISPA is controversial because it overrules all existing federal and state laws by saying “notwithstanding any other provision of law,” including privacy policies and wiretap laws, companies may share cybersecurity-related information “with any other entity, including the federal government.” It would not, however, require them to do so.
“This is not a surveillance bill,” said Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., who authored the bill. “It does not allow the national security agencies or the Department of Defense or our military … to monitor our domestic networks.”
