Internet Rights At Risk Again

by Robert L. Gisel



By the Congressional Bill CISPA, should it be passed as it is, we stand to lose any remaining Internet privacy to the government. Private information that we share with no one could be relayed to the government as if the 4th Amendment never existed.

The issue of Internet Rights and Protections concerns the province of Man's greatest advancement in the field of communications since the printing press, the technological advent of the World Wide Web.

Growth and progress of civilization is facilitated by a healthy flow of information of the populace. Conversely, favorable concourse and discussion among men is stifled by fascism -- the use of force and fear by governments.

Copyrights and Freedom of Information grant that the utterances of man and his intellectual property require protection as surely as one's castle. The 4th Amendment in the Bill of Rights grants man security in his person, his property, his papers, and effects. America has been a successful leader in the world because the protection of Rights and Freedoms ensures an atmosphere where prosperity blossoms.

The US Dept of Defense wanted to keep ahead of Russia's tech advances in the Space Age so they financed development of networking data relay, the ground work of the Internet. They do not own the Internet, however. That is the hardware systems and programming, the servers, while the World Wide Web is the communication that is relayed.

The WWW (World Wide Web) is historically a recent phenomenon. The Internet handled 1% of telecommunications in 1993, to over 98% today.

 Look at this sequence in the history of the world:

1)  Writings on rock walls projected communications to numerous others.
2)  Clay tablets made the communication portable.
3)  Papyrus (paper) allowed creation of books of information.
4)  The printing press advanced widespread distribution.
5)  With the press came a new era called the Information Age.
6)  Computers brought digital information, thus speed and volume of data.
7)  Technology brought interchange between terminals, and thus computers.
8)  The Internet gave us the means for unlimited and world wide exchange of information.
9)  The World Wide Web is an extension and advancement of the intercourse among men.

A large group of individuals together will create considerable confusion if not organized by purpose, direction and a structure including a leader. History has shown us that leaders must have power to rule and power is all too often given a harmful rendition. Then the citizens need protection against their rulers.

Witness this series:

1)   People get along together in societies with mutual consideration.
2)   Civilization organizes people for cohabitation and cooperative living.
3)   The Magna Carta protects the lives and livingness of men against abuses of rulers.
4)   The King may not enter your home without your invitation and permission.
5)   American pioneers stood for growth of productivity and personal industry.
6)   Industry and resourcefulness of individuals thrive in freedom and happiness.
8)  The Bill of Rights is a major advance in preserving freedom and rights.
7)   The products of creation are recognized as the property of its creator.
8)   The recognition of intellectual and property rights boosts economic success in the area.
9)   The server owns the service of Internet and its hardware, not WWW content.
10) The Internet provider agrees to respect and accommodate copyright material.
11) The writer owns his own works as intellectual property on the Web.
12) Internet providers grant that personal information is inviolable as is one's home.
13) The Right to Privacy excludes unrestricted government invasion of your privacy.
14) The Web is an organization of The People, not a government one.
15) Web information not public domain is as inviolate as one's property, papers, and effects. 

This all changes if this Act is passed. The CISPA does not safeguard against the government using the Internet to spy on private citizens. As it is written there is nothing to stop online companies from sharing your private information with the government, any agency including the military and any intelligence agencies. This means unlimited snooping without due process, a vital protection in our Bill of Rights.

Don't expect Obama to be true to his word and veto it. He also said he would veto the NDAA and then signed it anyway.

The Internet didn't exist when the Constitution and Bill of Rights were written. Now this new technology needs due consideration as to how it fits in as a logical extension. It is not hard to figure out. Our Right to Life depends on it.