Lieberman Bill Would Let Government Take Over Internet in Cybersecurity Emergency

(June 18) -- Newly proposed legislation would give the federal government authority to seize and even switch off the Internet during a national crisis.

The bill, put forward Thursday by Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., would allow the Department of Homeland Security to issue emergency orders to companies providing services such as search engines, software and broadband Internet, according to CBS. Companies that didn't comply would face a fine.

"The Internet can also be a dangerous place, with electronic pipelines that run directly into everything from our personal bank accounts to key infrastructure to government and industrial secrets," Lieberman said. "Our economic security, national security and public safety are now all at risk from new kinds of enemies: cyberwarriors, cyberspies, cyberterrorists and cybercriminals."

J. Scott Applewhite, AP

Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., has proposed a bill that would give the government the power to seize or even shut down the Internet in emergency situations. Here, Lieberman speaks on Capitol HIll last month.

Governments worldwide are increasingly aware of the threat posed by cyberattacks. In 2007, the Baltic state of Estonia was paralyzed by a cyberattack that froze the websites of businesses and government agencies for days. Estonia now hosts NATO's Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence.

Lieberman's bill also calls for the creation of a National Center for Cybersecurity and Communications within the Department of Homeland Security, CBS reported. The center would monitor the "security status" of websites and broadband providers to provide "situational awareness of the security status" of Internet within the United States.

The National Center for Cybersecurity and Communications would also be able to require certain Internet companies to share information with the federal government.

There's something in the proposed legislation for the private sector, too: Companies would have immunity from civil lawsuits for compensation related to actions they took on orders from the federal government.

However, the bill has been fiercely criticized online by Internet freedom advocates.

"This legislation should be met with resistance until it fails," journalist blogger Jamie DeLoma wrote. "Implementing the proposed plan would do nothing more than cause chaos and limit the information available."

The ideas in the proposal are not entirely new. In August, technology website CNET obtained a pair of draft Senate proposals that would have allowed the president to declare a "cybersecurity emergency" and "order the disconnection" of certain networks and websites.