Tone Deaf Dianne Feinstein Thinks Now Is A Good Time To Revive CISPA

from the what-is-she-smoking? dept

Wed, Sep 25th 2013 5:42am — Mike Masnick

We had believed, along with a number of others, that the Snowden leaks showing how the NSA was spying on pretty much everyone would likely kill CISPA dead. After all, the key component to CISPA was basically a method for encouraging companies to have total immunity from sharing information with the NSA. And while CISPA supporters pretended this was to help protect those companies and others from online attacks, the Snowden leaks have reinforced the idea (that many of us had been pointing out from the beginning) that it was really about making it easier for the NSA to rope in companies to help them spy on people.

Also, if you don't remember, while CISPA had passed the House, the Senate had shown little appetite for it. Last year, the Senate had approved a very different cybersecurity bill, and had expressed very little interest in taking up that fight again this year. Except now, in an unexpected move, Senate Intelligence Committee boss, and chief NSA defender because of reasons that are top secret, has now announced that she's been writing a Senate counterpart to CISPA and is prepared to "move it forward."

Yes, it seems that even though the NSA gleefully hid the evidence of widespread abuses from Feinstein's oversight committee, she's playing the co-dependent role yet again. Yes, there's a chance that this new version of the bill will actually take into account privacy and civil liberties, but I doubt many people would take a bet on that being likely.

Right now what the public is concerned about are not "cyberattacks" from foreigners -- they're concerned about our own government undermining the security and privacy of Americans themselves. Giving those responsible for that destruction of privacy and trust more power to abuse the privacy of Americans is not what people are looking for. Quite the opposite.

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Filed Under: cispa, cybersecurity, dianne feinstein, nsa, nsa surveillance, security

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Ninja (profile), 25 Sep 2013 @ 4:52am

Yes, there's a chance that this new version of the bill will actually take into account privacy and civil liberties, but I doubt many people would take a bet on that being likely.

Why yes, I'll bet on it. I also bet I can grab that little mischievous leprechaun and make it give me his pot. (Got it? POT!). I also bet Obama is going to change in his 3rd mandate and will stop mass surveillance. Cheers!
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out_of_the_blue, 25 Sep 2013 @ 6:23am

CISPA is to "legalize" Google / Facebook giving NSA access.
"We had believed" -- WELL, you is furdamentally wrong again! The merger of SPYING mega-corporations with gov't is not going to stop.

SO CENSOR ME AGAIN, KIDS! Even though I'm RIGHT.

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out_of_the_blue, Aug 13th, 2013 @ 2:01pm

GOOD! That'll prevent legalizing what Google is doing!
THAT was a main purpose of it.

Where Mike fights CISPA without mentioning major data sources Google and Facebook.
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Sep 2013 @ 6:24am

I think the confusion is you believe that the politicians were unaware. Some are VERY aware, they just don't want to take the heat. They KNOW they sold out the Constitution and the people.
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out_of_the_blue, 25 Sep 2013 @ 6:25am

Re: CISPA is to "legalize" Google / Facebook giving NSA access.
@ my own: "is furdamentally" -- Urrrgh. The "is" was intentional; the "r" is rather funny.
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Sep 2013 @ 6:36am

At this point, I think Feinstein's actions have gone from the dangerously misinformed to the malicious intent.
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DannyB (profile), 25 Sep 2013 @ 6:37am

What I want to know . . .
Why is Dianne Feinstein focusing her efforts on legislation like CISPA instead of working for the music industry? Anyone that tone deaf should be working for the RIAA. Music industry and tone deafness go together like copyright and censorship.

Oh, wait. CISPA is about:
The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA H.R. 3523 (112th Congress), H.R. 624 (113th Congress)) is a proposed law in the United States which would allow for the sharing of Internet traffic information between the U.S. government and technology and manufacturing companies.
So the government could share information with its corporate owners like the RIAA / MPAA, and anyone else who has an interest in stopping innovation, criticism or whistleblowing.

Nevermind. Dianne is doing her job working for the government's corporate owners.
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Sep 2013 @ 6:39am

It makes them above the law
The telco's got immunity and so they don't obey the laws of Congress, they obey the NSA demands. In effect NSA is put above Congress.

If others get immunity, why would they follow the laws of Congress? They'd *have* to follow NSA, and there is no legal penalty for ignoring US law while doing so, so of course they'd ignore whatever Congress writes and obey the NSA.

It creates a dictatorship with companies loyal to the NSA General rather than the legal framework of the USA. They would be above the law.

At this point, you need to remove the immunity from the telcos. By doing that they will ensure the NSA can't spy outside the legal framework of warrants.
Current Congress can write whatever laws it likes and repeal whatever laws it likes, but the telcos don't have to obey.
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DannyB (profile), 25 Sep 2013 @ 6:42am

Re: CISPA is to "legalize" Google / Facebook giving NSA access.
> The merger of SPYING mega-corporations with gov't is not going to stop.

Of course it won't stop as long as the RIAA/MPAA don't want it to stop. With that kind of internet intelligence, the RIAA/MPAA will be in a better position to stop innovators, censor speech they find distasteful or embarrassing, and send in black helicopters in armed police raids when it turns out that they may not have any actual case at all.
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Sep 2013 @ 6:52am

At this point, I'm not looking for congress to try to pass CISPA, I'm looking for criminal investigations, arrests, and those in oversight who fell asleep at the switch to resign.
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Sep 2013 @ 6:52am

Re: CISPA is to "legalize" Google / Facebook giving NSA access.
You still don't get it.

"SPYING mega-corporations"

The simplest difference (that has been pointed out to you more times than youv'e taken a dump) you can opt-out of facebook/google/whatever 'spying' on you online, however you cannot opt-out of the NSA spying on you. Get a clue blue, you know exactly why people flag you all the time.
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Sep 2013 @ 6:54am

Re:
The NSA intercepted all of congress' emails too. What do they have that they are using to get their way?
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out_of_the_blue, 25 Sep 2013 @ 7:07am

Since I was censored in the prior item, I'll cross-post:
I've answered an AC there:
But if Mike opposes a bill that legalizes Google's activity that kind of proves that Mike is not a Google shill.

If you're going to slander Mike at least don't shoot down your own claims

No, what I state is observable FACT that Mike opposes it without mentioning that it would HELP Google. CISPA is a PRO-SPYING bill that'll move Google and Facebook from operating in legal gray area to fully legal. This doesn't in any way prove that Mike isn't a Google shill, because he needs to publicly oppose it to maintain his credibility, but the bill ... is now back on the table AS IF been on rails all along, so at the VERY least, Mike was WRONG here about it being dead! I bet it was just tabled while the NSA flap dies down.

So long as Mike keeps opposing CISPA without mentioning Google and Facebook, how can you NOT suspect he's a Google shill? Over a period of months LEAVING OUT KEY POINTS indicates concealed motives.

SO, guess you can choose to keep faith in Mike, who's been proved wrong here, and who definitely never mentions Google or Facebook as benefitting from this bill, while reviling ME who's merely proved right and warns of mega-corporations...
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Sep 2013 @ 7:17am

Re: Re: CISPA is to "legalize" Google / Facebook giving NSA access.
It's already legal, otherwise we could sue Google and Facebook for participating in PRISM. It only helps shield new companies from doing the same thing.
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out_of_the_blue, 25 Sep 2013 @ 7:17am

Re: Re: CISPA is to "legalize" Google / Facebook giving NSA access.
@ "DannyB": "Of course it won't stop as long as the RIAA/MPAA don't want it to stop."

There you go. It's all RIAA/MPAA.

Listen, silly, not only are you off-topic stoopid, but you've entirely failed to address topic, are manifestly unable to. It's nearly impossible for me to believe that you think you've accomplished anything there except proven how feeble are Mike's fanboys. THAT you went with it proves how faulty is your thought process. Silence would be FAR better.

I APPRECIATE your efforts, though! You're one of Techdirt's most prolific fanboy-trolls.
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The Real Michael, 25 Sep 2013 @ 7:19am

Why do we allow hostile forces to continue to undermine us from within? If people like Feinstein seek to attack the Constitution, they're anti-American and should out on their ass, end of story.
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Pixelation, 25 Sep 2013 @ 7:21am

Feinstein. Uuugh! I wish that old goat would wake up.
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out_of_the_blue, 25 Sep 2013 @ 7:28am

Re: Re: Re: CISPA is to "legalize" Google / Facebook giving NSA access.
@ AC
It's already legal, otherwise we could sue Google and Facebook for participating in PRISM. It only helps shield new companies from doing the same thing.

Do you not SEE "legalize" in QUOTES to indicate de facto yet questionable legality?

It's only Google, other corporations, and gov't which regard spying as fully legal, while manifestly the public which is being spied on and tracked everywhere regards it as an outrage to rights including privacy.

I HOPED that distinction was made clear by my punctuation, and am now glad that used those marks to show was aware of it before your post.
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Sep 2013 @ 7:36am

Re: Re: Re: CISPA is to "legalize" Google / Facebook giving NSA access.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lfiTebewnc

Blue lecturing anyone of being off topic.
10/10 I wet myself.
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James Burkhardt (profile), 25 Sep 2013 @ 7:41am

Re: Since I was censored in the prior item, I'll cross-post:
He has. He doesn't need to reiterate the CISPA is bad arguments ad nauseam....

Moreover, you retain the assumption that voluntary sharing with Facebook or google is somehow the same as non-voluntary, no opt-out, secret NSA data collection. I know what data Google and Facebook stores, and what data its Privacy Policy says it can share. The NSA sharing is greater then the expected scope...but the problem is on the NSA side. Sharing with the law is a valid clause, but its the FISA court which has overreached, not google.

I limit the Data I share with Facebook specifically because I do not agree with its data handling. I can't limit which data gets shared with the NSA. That is why CISPA is a problem, because now Google, Microsoft, and/or facebook Have no incentive to not share your information, As mike has already pointed out.
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Sep 2013 @ 7:46am

Isn't it also an implicit admission of the illegality of the NSA's programs?

If they were acting legally within the laws laid down by Congress, then why do the companies need immunity?

Immunity from what exactly? The laws of congress!
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silverscarcat (profile), 25 Sep 2013 @ 7:50am

Re: Re: Re:
The only troll I see is you.
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silverscarcat (profile), 25 Sep 2013 @ 7:52am

Re:
She's the oldest member of the senate...

Yeah, I think it's time to force her to retire to an old person's home and only let her have a small allowance every month.

I think $300 USD should be enough for her.
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Sarah Black (profile), 25 Sep 2013 @ 8:09am

Re: Re:
Oh My, you weren't kidding!

Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein, born Dianne Emiel Goldman. Born: June 22, 1933 (age 80)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dianne_Feinstein
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Surveillance Target, 25 Sep 2013 @ 8:36am

CISPA and domestic surveillance
"After all, the key component to CISPA was basically a method for encouraging companies to have total immunity from sharing information with the NSA."

Not just the NSA but government agencies of any kind. That is the key difference between CISPA and FISA. CISPA would do for domestic surveillance what FISA has done for foreign (and, illegally, domestic) surveillance.
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silverscarcat (profile), 25 Sep 2013 @ 8:37am

Re: Re: Re:
Yeah, I wasn't kidding...

Huuuh...

Reagan was 69 when he elected President and 93 when he died in 2004.

Just a little comparison note for ya.
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Sep 2013 @ 9:32am

nobody should be able to get immunity for constitutional infringement ('tm)
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Sep 2013 @ 9:55am

she needs completely removing from politics, not just from her positions in politics! the woman must be getting a fortune to make her bring this back, and at this time! what an absolute plum!!
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Daemon_ZOGG (profile), 25 Sep 2013 @ 9:56am

"EVIL Dianne Feinstein"
The best way to get through each day in America is.. First, ask yourself "What would Dianne Feinstein do?".. Then, DO THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE. And, yes. She is completely out of touch with the American people and the US Constitutional rights of every American citizen.
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Sep 2013 @ 10:57am

Re: Re: CISPA is to "legalize" Google / Facebook giving NSA access.
As powerful as some random media lobbyists are, I can assure you that the defence industry is far, far superior at making politicians bend to their will. That the media lobbyists are not against it and are probably wheeling and dealing with other lobbyists is another issue entirely.
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Sep 2013 @ 11:13am

Re: What I want to know . . .
So the government could share information with its corporate owners like the RIAA / MPAA, and anyone else who has an interest in stopping innovation, criticism or whistleblowing.

I think we are going to see more revealed on this in the future because all that data has to be too tempting for the NSA, et. al. not to have. As an example, look at all the major retailers and their store security. That has to be piped to one of our overlords.
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Rapnel (profile), 25 Sep 2013 @ 11:15am

Hunting Season
And here I was planning a fucking moose hunt and fuck me if it isn't open season on the republic.
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Josh in CharlotteNC (profile), 25 Sep 2013 @ 11:35am

Re:
Because Democracy.

tldr; version
The line of thought you're exspousing sounds an awful lot like the mirror image of the fear-mongerers. Discussion of issues, and introduction of legislation, no matter how stupid, is not anti-American. The legislation itself may be, but we should never stoop to their level and start labeling people as anti-American. Let them introduce the legislation, and then in a functioning democracy, the people can object to kill or fix it, and vote them out of office for being stupid at the first oppurtunity.
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Sep 2013 @ 12:50pm

Not so fast...
To have malicious intent, she must believe her intentions will do harm to another party.

On the contrary, she thinks she will be SAVING US by PROTECTING US.

Feinstein's quotes:
"I knew -- hell, EVERYONE knew -- about the NSA's shady past when I hooked up with it. Why's everyone so outraged?"
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130827/18512124329/nsa-is-dianne-feinsteins-mike-roge rs-abusive-cheating-spouse.shtml

As I have said previously, the committee has never identified an instance in which the NSA has intentionally abused its authority to conduct surveillance for inappropriate purposes.
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130817/02254824218/nsa-defenders-insist-their-lawbreak ing-should-be-ignored-because-they-didnt-mean-it.shtml

Typically Big Govt Puke who thinks they know best...

Wait until the NSA teams up the local SWAT teams to start knocking down doors like other agencies do now...
U.S. Department of Education agents raids California home
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/education-department-swat-team-raids-califor nia-home/2011/06/08/AGUxlKMH_blog.html
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silverscarcat (profile), 25 Sep 2013 @ 1:17pm

Re: "EVIL Dianne Feinstein"
Well, being 80 years old, I imagine that dementia's settling in on her.
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John Fenderson (profile), 25 Sep 2013 @ 1:22pm

Re: Not so fast...
Wait until the NSA teams up the local SWAT teams

We don't have to wait. They're already doing that.

Amongst the myriad Bad Things that we now know the NSA does is that when they find evidence of ordinary crime, they tip off local cops and advise them about how to hide the fact that the NSA tipped them off.
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Sep 2013 @ 1:26pm

I would expect no less from Senator Spystein!
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