Let's Talk About CISPA

Everything Facebook has done with regard to your privacy is nothing as compared to their support for this bill. So long, Facebook, until this thing is killed dead. Friends, I’ll miss you.

I just left that message on Facebook before signing off. Doesn’t make a lot of sense, does it? That’s because Facebook stripped off the link that went to this infographic on the Cyber Intelligence Sharing & Protection Act. That link also identifies Facebook as one of the supporters of the bill, the only one with which I was doing any business. I’m not anymore.

Is it a coincidence that Facebook stripped my link? Maybe. I was able to post it again underneath my status. It isn’t important. What is important is that this bill, which is breathtaking in its scope, be stopped.

If you’re in the U.S., call your representative. This may come to a vote soon, and they need to know how you want them to vote. That’s all you need to tell the staffer who answers your call. “I want Representative X to vote ‘No’ on CISPA. It’s a bad bill.”

I can’t go a full minute without coughing at the moment, so I emailed my representative and both my senators. Feel free to steal text as appropriate if calling (which is more effective) doesn’t work for you.

To Representative Ellison:

Vote/Speak Against CISPA
The Cyber Intelligence Sharing & Protection Act represents a significant loss of privacy of individual citizens to private companies and governmental agencies with no oversight, no limits, and no recourse for the individuals involved. As with SOPA, this is a bill that tilts the balance of power in our society without those who would gain by it demonstrating any need that even approaches the scope of the loss of individual rights. It is time to take a strong public stand against not just this bill but all proposed bills like this that would deprive us of our liberties with no compelling justification.

To Senator Franken, who is already a champion of net neutrality and similar issues:

Speak Against CISPA
The Cyber Intelligence Sharing & Protection Act represents a significant loss of privacy of individual citizens to private companies and governmental agencies with no oversight, no limits, and no recourse for the individuals involved. As with SOPA, this is a bill that tilts the balance of power in our society without those who would gain by it demonstrating any need that even approaches the scope of the loss of individual rights. While this particular bill has not yet been presented to the Senate, it is time to take a strong public stand against not just this bill but all proposed bills like this that would deprive us of our liberties with no compelling justification. Yours is a strong and respected voice on telecommunications issues, and it is a voice that is needed on the side of the people in this fight.

I sent the same note to Senator Klobuchar, without the last line. Sadly, she’s been on the side of business in prior rounds of bad intellectual property bills, but I’m hopeful that she’s taken some lessons on protections of individual rights into account since then.

Whatever you do, do it soon. Action on this bill may come very, very soon.

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Let's Talk About CISPA
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5 thoughts on “Let's Talk About CISPA

  1. F
    1

    <applause>

    Yes, action must be taken very soon, we are already near the middle of the game.

    As to Facebook, I’ve never vetted any of this so I’m not sure if it is cranky or not, and I don’t recall where I originally saw it several years back, but there is this presentation about the creatures involved with the formative years of FB: Does what happens in the Facebook stay in the Facebook?

    IIRC, it waxes a bit conspiratorial where I just see natural attractions, but the end results could be the same regardless.

    On the plus side, ACTA is looking more like a sick puppy all the time, not that this would stop a handful of jackass governments from signing it anyway.

  2. 2

    Thanks for publicizing this. I borrowed your text and I’ve written my senators and representative too. I don’t have a lot of confidence that my rep will oppose it, given that he always does the opposite of what I want him to, but at least I’ve let him know what one of his constituents feels strongly about!

  3. 3

    You think Facebook is going to your wall and stripping away a link, only to slip up and let you post it again later? That doesn’t strike you as a little paranoid? Occam’s razor suggests it was a GLITCH. Your lies are not helping your cause.

  4. 4

    Sure, Kernel. Your eagerness to call, “Is it a coincidence that Facebook stripped my link? Maybe.” a lie rather than the noncommittal statement it is makes your cause (what is your cause?) look all rosy.

  5. 5

    Kernel, it wouldn’t be the first time facebook prevented people from posting links. I seem to recall the same trouble a few months back with a link to a site critical of facebook.

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