House gets ready to reject immunity for telecommunications companies
By Leslie Poston
The House plans to make the smart decision this week for Internet freedom, rejecting immunity for telecommunications companies. Unfortunately, the Senate hasn’t been so smart and has been in favor of this terrible legislation. It isn’t clear whether they will cancel each other out or reach a compromise.
What is the legislation for, exactly? Basically it grants the telecommunications companies who helped Bush spy on Americans immunity from prosecution. Aside from the fact that they just shouldn’t be allowed to get away with such a heinous act, the possibility of setting a precedent for future indiscretions against customers and American citizens is also there.
In 2007 a temporary measure called the RESTORE Act was passed that legalized the warrantless wiretapping temporarily. If you think the ramifications of keeping warrantless wiretapping legal are bad for citizens, think of it even beyond the potential for harm in light of free speech and other things the administration has been slowly eroding.
Imagine if the RIAA or MPAA could get in bed with AT&T (the first telecommunications company to allow Bush to spy on Americans) or other telecommunications companies to keep tabs on legal and illegal downloads. They wouldn’t have to go through any legal channels at all to go after people they suspect of breaking rules then. What about bloggers and other people who may not agree with the administration’s policies? A simple phone call may turn into a chapter from Orwell’s 1984 if telecommunications companies and the government are allowed to continue warrantless spying.
The list of possible wrongs for citizens is endless. If checks and balances are completely done away with, we’ll be left with a society without the freedoms the country has been built on. Not only that, think of the ramifications for all aspects of the online community, from entrepreneurs who work from home to education and everything in between. Wiretapping and the fear it engenders could put a damper on a thriving Internet.
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February 11th, 2008
What is the legislation for, exactly?
http://linuxforums.net.cn/
February 13th, 2008
Thank you for being the stand-up entity you truely are (House of Ripresentatives). There’s and evil entity that wants to erode our sovereignty, trust and faith in each other, but it iis because of people like yoursslves that knows if something like this happens, it will be the end of our wonerful nation as we know it. Again, Thank You House of Representatives.