Internet "Kill Switch" Proposed for Obama

(Washington, D.C.) Thanks to Sen. Joe Lieberman, President Obama is on track to "seize control of or even shut down portions of the Internet."

Bill S.3480, or the Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act (PCNAA), has been dubbed the Internet “kill switch.”

According to the legislation, in the case of national emergencies, any private company that relies on the U.S. “information infrastructure” would be forced to comply with any orders (e.g. encrypt data, install a patch, or block web traffic) given by the president via the National Center for Cybersecurity and Communications (NCCC), a proposed agency that would be created under the Department of Homeland Security.

Uh, just out of curiosity, what prevents Obama from declaring a national emergency for the purpose of silencing his political opponents? I'd suggest that the Democrat Party, looking at its current polling numbers, could arguably declare its popularity as a national emergency.

Also there's the unemployment crisis and the Gulf oil spill and the flood in home foreclosures. Of course, we shouldn't overlook the national crises in border security, education, homelessness, immigration, the H1N1 virus and more. Any of the these could logically be justification for shutting down the Drudge Report, FoxNews and others viewed as adversarial.

[Add.] Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit says he'll get his gun if the government shuts down the Internet. Andrew Sullivan says that Reynolds is a paranoid gun nut. Frankly, I believe both are somewhat concerned about the proposed legislation.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.