• hodar

    What possible ‘emergency’ could justify shutting down communications between citizens of the USA?

    Nuclear? Chemical? Zombies? Seriously, what emergency would justify shutting down communications between citizens?

    There is only one reason I can think of. If the Gov’t is planning on changing our Gov’t from a Republic to a Dictatorship, then shutting down the internet would cripple communications from American citizens while the new regime is put in place.

    Am I missing something? Is there ANY other reason?

  • Dark Huntress

    No this hound won’t hunt. There is no reason to EVER “turn off” the Internet.

    Lieberman is too old to be taking about technology he probably never uses and who thinks Facebook is a new cosmetic company.

    LEAVE the internet alone!!!!

  • NoWayMan

    For one I doubt they could actually achieve such, knowing that it already takes anywhere from 48 to 72 hours for DNS servers to update records as it is. Unless they literally killed the power or cut the lines to places, how do they propose this happen? Kill the root servers? Well those don’t belong to the U.S. alone – those belong to the entire planet of users. Screw you Big Brother.

  • Fed cyber follower

    Have you read the bill? It DOES NOT call for a kill switch. It calls for emergency powers in cases of national security situation and during that situation, the President would have the ability to tell owners and operators of the electronic grid or financial services industry or which ever critical infrastructure to fix the problem immediately. I repeat…it DOES NOT give the President the ability to “turn off” the Internet…that’s just plain silly.

    This is the problem with bloggers….do some research instead of just reacting to what you read….you know like real journalists.

  • NeverTrustTheLiars

    @Fed cyber follower… Have YOU read the bill? I mean poured over every single page of it? I seriously doubt it. You speak of “silly”, I’ll tell you what’s silly and that is giving the bloated, power-hungry government more control than it already has. Internet related or not.

  • project

    I’d like to see them try to cut off my int

  • jason

    Come on how many people used the internet 10 years ago!? If they wanted a dictatorship they dont need to shut off the interenet, it would have already been done. Now if they cut phone lines, or tv lines that would be a problem. People have live with out the interent people keep forgeting that.

  • Michael

    Seriously, that old Liebermann (the guy from the pic, if that is him) looks like he had plastic surgery. How gay. >:(

  • Marina Pratt

    Old lady here—wait/wait, I don’t get it. This looks like another scare tactic to feed the imaginations of all those people who are out there hoping for some movie scenerio to come to life and bring live and die drama to theirs…because they are bored? I will look for the bill – but like I said, I am an old lady and may not find it. In the meantime, look to the gulf of Mexico for a real horror story. And–write to your congressman/woman to tell them this does not sound like a good plan…then call Rachel Maddow on MSNBC to see if she can do some research on it. She is a pretty good geek.

  • cutthebullshit

    this is just getting plain crazy oh no a cyber attack give me a fucking break how many things must big brother take control of before their changing our fuckin diapers too i myself im sick of this shit is the reason our country is fiiled with dumbass people who cant take care of themseleves its always the well we will keep you safe let hand out money to every crack smoking worthless asshole dont worry people no one has to be responsible anymore big brother will take care of you what a joke a the damn american publics just as bad worried about how that hollywood celeb lost five pounds filth and scum this shit will pass too cause of rich scum having the voice of america shit makes me sick

  • chickenshitconformist

    well said cutthebullshit its time the people with no voice start yelling in the streets

  • diana


  • cj

    That’s just plain retarded! I have nothing more to say ! lol

  • eric b

    at the end of the day this is about more power and less about protection. where is our up-graded protection from enviromental disasters since the EPA? Where is our up-graded protections since 9/11 and 2 wars? Where is our up-graded economic protection since the S&L crash in the late 80s…it is all a game for seizing more power and taking it out of the hands of the individual.

  • Red Dawn

    Communist China here we come. Seriously, not only is this just another way for government to usurp rights from us, this bill will open up the door for plenty of loopholes and constitutional violations. Ever heard of free speech? Suddenly that right goes out the window during a time of so-called crisis.

    Think of how many people communicate through the internet for a second. Now think of the U.S government having the power to stop that in the name of national security.

    The sad thing is that most people in this country will bend over and take this crap.

    Oh, wait until they start taxing our blog posts and emails. Someone has to pay for all the insurmountable debt these morons have gotten us into.

    This bill only softens up the american sheeple.The worst is yet to come.

  • Adam

    Just in response to the spending issue, what new spending would be required? Is this just an assumption that any law costs money? I don’t see how simply granting president authority over this costs anything. Also, the “new bureacracy” would just be a new subsection of Homeland Security.

  • http://threewisemenblog.com Adam

    Not saying I support this particular bill, but some of the comments thus far about this being another sign of impending dictatorship are pretty laughable. While this may not be the right way to address it, the danger of cyber attacks on our financial institutions, infrastructure, etc. is real and we need to figure out a way to combat them.

  • Protect_the_net

    Okay everyone, listen up. Too much is at stake to look the other way this time. If we ignore this ‘bill’ these bureaucrats in Washington will take away the one place left where there is true free of expression. Register at http://protect-the-net.proboards.com and let’s figure out a way to stop this bill. Exercise you right to free speech will you still can.

  • Scoltt

    Isn’t this a potential form of censorship that caused google to pull out of China? Good to know that Big Brother is alive and well in 2010 and looking for other ways to control our lives.

    When did our gov’t. “obtain” the internet, as an intity, giving it the right to limit society’s access to it?

    Firstly, this is 100% censorship of freedom of speech and or expression, by being able to suspend an indivdual’s platform to convey or express their ideas, on a whim.

    Secondly, what about the damage done to companies that rely on e-commerce? The damage could be widespread, industries could be crippled or shut down.

    Let’s give our dictatorship……sorry, gov’t the ability to turn off all mobile devices and give them complete control of the airwaves by giving them the power to shut down t.v. stations and radio programs as well.

    Hitler would be proud!!!!!

  • Tall Timbers

    Right now the Federal government is exercising domestic power so far beyond what the constitution allows… I can’t imagine granting any of the branches any additional power. NO!

  • William

    Adam, you wrote, “Also, the “new bureacracy” would just be a new subsection of Homeland Security.” Well, our government officials don’t work for free. So who do you think is going to pay their enormous sallaries, and pay for the “building” of this “new commerce?” It’s going to be taxpayers!

    Read more: http://www.geek.com/articles/news/bill-could-allow-government-to-turn-off-the-internet-in-an-emergency-20100617/#ixzz0rDeTdOcQ

  • what’s next

    It’s time for you to retire Joe Lieberman!!! Let us have what precious Freedom we have left!

  • William

    With all of this being said folks, I can’t (and won’t) say that I support everything our government does…including this new legislation, but we have to be careful of bashing our government. We have it pretty good here in the U.S., even if there ARE things that we don’t like! There are always going to be “big government” issues that we have to accept…..to a certain degree….and this is not one that we should be too awfully worried about. I mean think about this…If a terrorist group was using the internet to plan and organize a bombing or something, wouldn’t it be nice if the government could stop it? I know they seem like “big brother”, but this country would be in absolute chaos without our government. Just look at the third-world countries. Is THAT how you would rather live? Just a thought!

  • Turn Off

    We need a taxpayer “Switch” to turn off Congress and their insane spending!!
    I am thinking this is just another prep for the inevitable WW3!!!

  • Rick Woods

    Strike a blow for freedom, buy U.S. Bongs

  • Ari Giovanna

    This is how our tax dollars are spent? A laughable if not failed Homeland Security and Joe Lieberman.
    The issue of legality, the coordination of such an effort would be extremely costly. Leave those thoughts and ask yourself if you can trust someone half the country mistrusts to stomp on our rights based on unconfirmed security issues? Look at the WOMD and a war dictated by the last regime.
    Joe you are not only clueless you are inspired by your need for power. This would be illegal and the cost so great to simply coordinate such a feat would be my first issue. Then the trust I have in my government to relinquish such power to those who seem to be above the law.
    NO this cannot and should not be allowed. SPeak up Americans before we lose all of our rights and allow such people to enact such a bill would be placing an even stronger yoke around our necks. What happened to our freedoms as citizens when we empower those we cannot trust to tighten the grip upon us.

  • chickenshitconformist


  • sam

    Obama can have my wireless keyboard when he can pry it from my cold dead fingers.

  • blacxs

    This is just the begining of america’s trouble. this is the New World order way to colonize the world and kill your own people since there will be no media to expose the sucking bigbrother
    If you can please leave america as soon as you can. New world order will take all your rights all your wealth and in the end your will end up in Fema concentration camps where you will weep and mourn for the rest of your life

  • Jon

    This is just a “foot in the door” tactic. Our government needs to stop with the childlike tactics. Obama is so busy calling out people who don’t agree with him and idiots whom our tax dollars pay to think and create real change are coming up with ideas like this. The man shows too much emotion and plays to the media way too much. Our president should be seen and heard through his actions not his constant criticism of what others think of his administration. He acts like a “talking head” on Larry King Live and not like a president.

  • http://www.nationalreview.com OutoftheSilentPlanet

    Yeah, bloggers don’t do real research like journalists do…

    Except oh wait, real journalists *all over the world* are reporting this! From CBS to Sydney!

    Granted, that doesn’t make it accurate. I remember all the lies that went on about the Arizona law. So maybe this is a misrepresentation too..

    ….Due to lazy journalists.

    But pro or con, let’s see the evidence.

    If there is a crazy kill switch, people need to hit the streets, all over the world. There’s no reason for the government to have a “kill switch”.

  • RoadRage


  • http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/10349001.stm Woo Chong

    The BBC has just covered a new solution against cyber threats.


    We won’t have to be afraid now, with our little button for the president.

    Indeed, a genious has just released ways to strike back attackers thanks to his new weapons.

    This expert is saving our cyber lives, and he hopefully wrote a new step for Internet security…


  • joe

    if anything there would be a real need for the internet in such an

    this man has always been an idiot. it’s nice to see some things don’t change –

    really how damn stupid!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • http://yahoo.com sam

    Obama should just change our name to Iran 2.0……We have less freedom that they do. Only they control their borders better, so don’t hike around there,

  • Joshua Lam


    Lots of people used the internet 10 years ago, myself included. The internet has been around in one form or another since the 70's. Just because it is more widespread now does not diminish its importance to human society over the past several decades. But now there is an entire global economy which relies heavily on information technology, the large majority of which has to do with the world wide web. So, yeah, without the internet we would be rewinding the world economy to the 60's. Our economy would shrink dramatically and millions would lose their jobs. Entire professions and whole markets would cease to exist altogether. Have fun with that, smart guy.

    All that withstanding, the Federal government does not deserve more power, it deserves less. It is a vaguely principled, violent, increasingly power hungry bureaucracy that seriously needs reform and I don't see who giving it the emergency power to freeze NET traffic will do anything to further democracy.

    As for preventing cyber attacks, maybe a better solution is to invest in a revamp of the internet's soft infrastructure, rather than empower the Federal bozos in D.C. to do ever more harm than good.

  • Protect_the_net

    Sign the Petition against the Kill-Switch bill and keep the internet free from autocracy! – http://www.petitiononline.com/stopKS/petition.html

  • deadcrow

    AYBABTU will now read AYIABTU. That’s assuming you have access to read the news that AYIABTU

  • rainman2010

    That is bull crap that bill should have never even been thought the old guys in goverment are going to far along with everyone else that wants this bill to pass what happend to freedom this goverment is trying to police everything on the american people i mean come this was supposed to be the land of the free and it is becoming not so free, the internet is used for information news sports entertainment and many other things we do in the world and that would just cause alot more hate and discontent in this world u wonder why there is so much crime and such in america cause of all the stuff the goverment does and most of all does not do NO TO INTERNET KILLSWITCH

  • Ed

    What a bunch of freaking idiots. The older they get the more foolish their suggestions are getting.

  • Mjen

    Sam, you’re kinda retarded. Iran 2.0 really? You’re going to say America has less freedoms than Iranian people? Iran, where you have to be Muslim to live, women wearing blue jeans is still illegal some places, and rock and roll is banned. What freedoms do we not have compared to Iranians? The Iranian government did turn off twitter (on servers within their borders), and blocked cell phones after their “election” if I’m not mistaken. Now I haven’t read the bill, and I’m not a fan of Joe “Public Option Killer” Lieberman, but the government, not necessarily the office of the president, should have power to protect its citizens. Not under the Bush model though, that just extends the powers of the presidency. I’m sure that there are better ways to protect the internet than just “turning it off,” and such a decision should be a decision that requires congressional approval for any needs longer than a week.

  • jay

    Goebbels lives…

  • Zombiehunter96

    It will be used to “turn off” the internet to keep people in the dark. Can you censor TV? Yes. Can you censor radio? Yes. Can you censor news papers? Yes. Can you censor the internet? Not really. You can’t censor everyone in the world. If something happens that the government doesn’t want you to hear the only place you can hear about it is the internet. If they “turn off” the internet you’re in the dark. I guess you could listen to shortwave but thats about it. But it won’t happen, you can’t just “turn off” the internet, it’s not that simple.