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Senate Advances Plan To Make Email and Social Sites Report Terror Activity

Posted by Soulskill on from the won't-somebody-think-of-the-terrists dept.

Advocatus Diaboli sends news that the Senate Intelligence Committee has unanimously approved draft legislation that would requires email providers and social media sites to report any suspected terrorist activities to the government. While the legislation itself is classified until it reaches the Senate floor, Committee chairman Richard Burr (R-NC) said, "America’s security depends on our intelligence community’s ability to detect and thwart attacks on the homeland, our personnel and interests overseas, and our allies. This year’s legislation arms the intelligence community with the resources they need, and reinforces congressional oversight of intelligence activities." The legislation is based on 2008's Protect Our Children Act, which required companies to report information about child porn to an agency that would act on it. One industry official told the Washington Post, "Considering the vast majority of people on these sites are not doing anything wrong, this type of monitoring would be considered by many to be an invasion of privacy. It would also be technically difficult."

6 of 139 comments (clear)

  1. I hereby announce my plans for terrorism by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I will dump tea in Boston Harbor, while dressed as an Indian, feather, not dot, and I will then follow it up by riding a horse to Lexington and Concord.

  2. I define terror ... by PPH · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ... as someone operating outside the purview of our court system running around threatening me with prison time should I fail to hand over my data.

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
  3. Re:Pull a what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    No, didn't misspell. Clinton is the one who ran her own server from home and trashed the data AND server when asked for it..knowingly. Even if other POS elected representatives wiped data from state servers it doesn't diminish the fact that Hillary did it AFTER she was told to give up the goods, hence my original comment and your moronic response that had nothing to do with it, but I shouldn't be surprised from this sites; liberal readers.

  4. Terrorists by penguinoid · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Terrorists are attacking our homeland, reading our mail, threatening the security guaranteed to us by the First and Fourth Amendments. And if the terrorists find something they don't like, expect to see a large group of them show up with guns and take you away.

    --
    Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
  5. It would also be technically difficult. by frovingslosh · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It would also be technically difficult.

    Nothing is too difficult for the person who doesn't have to do it their self.

    --
    I'm an American. I love this country and the freedoms that we used to have.
  6. why not go full Stasi? by NostalgiaForInfinity · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Senate Intelligence Committee has unanimously approved draft legislation that would requires email providers and social media sites to report any suspected terrorist activities to the government.

    Why stop there? If you're going to have various private parties report on each other, why not go full Stasi? Have teachers report on students, kids on parents, parents on kids, etc. And we clearly need a Division of Garbage Analysis and a Main Administration for Struggle Against Suspicious Persons.

    Come on Dianne Feinstein, what are you waiting for? We all know it's what you really want anyway.