Obama signs order outlining emergency Internet control A new executive order addresses how the country deals with the Internet during natural disasters and security emergencies, but it also puts a lot of power in the government's hands. President Barack Obama signed an executive order last week that could give the U.S. government control over the Internet. With the wordy title "Assignment of National Security and Emergency Preparedness Communications Functions," this order was designed to empower certain governmental agencies with control over telecommunications and the Web during natural disasters and security emergencies. This executive order gives the government the ability to shut down civilian internet access at will and was enacted without a vote of Congress. For the entire article see: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57469950-93/obama-signs-order-outlining-emergency-internet-control/
Rather than wandering the net for whatever parts of an Executive Order that someone/group has an axe to grind about... Read the Order for yourself, it is a public document. In fact every EO issued is available on-line via the National Archives. http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/executive-orders/disposition.html Makes for interesting reading to see what Roosevelt, Truman all the way to BHO have had to say. Then ask yourself - Why? Please remember that a large number of Congressional Acts have been passed over the years to remove or re-enforce these EOs. Use the EO number to search for other legislation (Acts). Have fun.
"A new executive order addresses how the country deals with the Internet during natural disasters"..... What "natural" disaster would need the Government to control the internet?
Natural disaster ? But the "security emergencies" is pretty obvious in relation to the rest of what they are doing.
Ok, you can talk all you want, about how this is a Giant Conspiracy.... but the SIMPLE FACTS are, that the .Gov uses the Internet to communicate, between its divisions, for both DATA, and VOICE. When there is a MAJOR Natural Disaster, that covers more area than a single State, and the Internet Infrastructure, and available bandwidth, is compromised, it is prudent, for said .Gov to have in place such Policies, and Procedures, to insure that those .Gov Communications take precedence, over the civilian uses of the SAME Bandwidth and Internet Infrastructure. This is nothing more than "Common Sense" Anything can be misUsed, and have unIntended Consequences, including this EO. Actually, there are Laws and EOs that cover these specific Issues, (Internet) in place for a two decades or more, AND for Telecommunications (Telephone and Telegraph) for MANY DECADES. This EO, is likely, just to bring HLS (Big Sis) into the EO mix, as well as the new Special Assistant to the Pres. for Communications/National Security. (Comms Czar) ...... YMMV.....
Bruce, I am sure that is one explaination that .gov would like us to believe and it has some merit as long as you assume that .gov has the right to communicate while the rest of us sit in the dark and get fed a steady diet of propaganda but realistically, it is total bullshit and more control by a government that we do not trust with that measure of power.
well look at the Arab summer... first thing the goverment did was try to shut down the interweb.... keeps folks from organizing....
I was recently looking at packet radio, internet protocol over amateur radio. It might be worth doing something like that to work around blocking.
