Microsoft Slowly Backing Away From CISPA Support; Worries About Privacy Issues
from the take-a-stand dept
One of the key points that backers of CISPA had made throughout the debate on the bill was that it had the support of the “tech industry” — with Facebook and Microsoft being the key supporters of the bill. Of course, a few weeks ago, Facebook re-pledged its support for the bill… but also stated that it was aware of the privacy concerns and that it would work with lawmakers to fix the bill. Seeing as it’s not clear that much was really done to fix the bill, does that mean Facebook may drop its support?
Similarly, Microsoft is now admitting that there are some privacy concerns with CISPA and has softened its stance on it slightly, while not completely pulling its support. Declan McCullagh at CNET reports:
In response to queries from CNET, Microsoft, which has long been viewed as a supporter of the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, said this evening that any law must allow “us to honor the privacy and security promises we make to our customers.”
Microsoft added that it wants to “ensure the final legislation helps to tackle the real threat of cybercrime while protecting consumer privacy.”
This sounds similar to what Facebook was saying. Of course, what’s not clear is why they’re unwilling to pull support from the bills until such changes are made. Either way, combined with the fact that a few CISPA sponsors even voted against the bill suggests that — even though it may have passed the House — support for the overall bill is eroding. That’s important, as the fight now moves to the Senate, where the existing cybersecurity proposals are quite different.
Filed Under: cispa, cybersecurity
Companies: facebook, microsoft
Comments on “Microsoft Slowly Backing Away From CISPA Support; Worries About Privacy Issues”
I am guessing, but I suspect that you are reading a little too much context into the Microsoft statements. It reads more like a frank admission that they have to make sure that the laws as passed line up with their other legal responsibilities to their customers (such as privacy).
I think why they won’t pull support is that Microsoft is often the conduit for attacks on systems (because of their widely used OS and productivity tools), and as such, they would probably love to see a few high end asshat hackers and attackers get some Bubba Bitch time. For them to back away from it would also make it sound like they don’t mind that their software is everyone’s favorite security hole.
Re:
Well of course they don’t want it to pass. Like you said, having a Windows OS is everyone’s favorite security hole. So they would either be held liable for any attack, or they would lose a bunch of business.
I suspect that the White House’s threat of a veto was an effort to boost one or another of the Senate proposals. That scares me about what is in the Senate proposals that we have not been paying attention to. I have found it hard to even identify what the Senate proposals are.
suckerbrat is a twat. he thinks that he is king of the net when in actual fact there have been more privacy breeches of facebook customers than just about anything else. he also seems to think that it’s acceptable and almost funny that peoples data is distributed through those breeches!
Re:
I’m wondering how tighter legislation will catch more hackers, when efforts from the greatest minds in security research have so far been unable to even put a dent on some of the world’s most resilient botnets.
the only reason
microsoft now has to share the info they use to sell
thats the only reason why they pulling away
Re:
Actually, most of the botnets get shut down over time, but get replaced as well. It has been suggested that many botnets are in fact left alive only to allow authorities to track command and control to get back to the actual herders.
The internet is a series of blind alley ways, locked doors, and fun house mirrors that make it hard to find the actual source for many things. Trying to knock some of those fun house mirrors down, and to perhaps make it harder to get blinds to hide behind may help.
Microsoft: Perfectly willing to defend privacy, after it’s too late to do anything about it
Can’t wait for this thing to hit the Senate to see yet another Microsoft flip-flop.
I will just be doing my best to try and make sure I never give money to any Company who supported Censorship & Spying of us on the Internet.
MS Should of spoken before because now it does not matter.
Microsoft denies softening of CISPA support
http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/224587-microsoft-denies-softening-of-cispa-support
“Microsoft released a statement on Monday reaffirming its support for a controversial cybersecurity bill that cleared the House last week.
?Microsoft?s position remains unchanged,” Christina Pearson, a Microsoft spokeswoman, said in a statement to The Hill. “We supported the work done to pass cybersecurity bills last week in the House of Representatives and look forward to continuing to work with all stakeholders as the Senate takes up cybersecurity legislation.?
The statement shoots down reports that the technology company was wavering in its support of the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA).”
given the number of comments I’d say the readership is suffering from CISPA burnout
Burnout?
It’s not a matter of burnout from reading about CISPA-I’d say that it is more a matter of not being informed enough to make a judgement about it.
The government would just as soon not have the peons of this country know about this bill.
They rushed it through to make sure nobody heard about the many problems it has. That way it will get through the process faster-but more as more information becomes available on how horrible this bill is, the more likely an awful lot of people will sit up and notice.
Got a minute? Call, write or email your Senator to protest this bill and make sure they know they’re being watched on their vote. It’s coming up in the Senate for a vote. Don’t assume they won’t vote on it. They will in a heartbeat, and for it.
They’re that stupid and clueless.
Otherwise you’re just wasting your time posting your opinion. Part of the rights of being a citizen of this country is the obligation to participate in the events that are going on in Washington.
We haven’t sold it to the highest bidder, yet, from what I understand-although it sure feels like it most days.
BOYCOTT MICROSOFT
BOYCOTT MICROSOFT!
When this passes you will know who to blame. MS will be the company that pushed this action through. They deserve NOTHING more than desolution of assetts.
Boycott all Microsoft technologies, now and in the future.
They are saying they will give your privacy data, your email contents, your search queries, your personal data, your private data.
They deserve NOTHING but a protest which will occur in REDMOND WA very soon.
MS deserves nothing for thier abuse of engineers in Redmond, their lowering of wages more than 75%, the importation of illegal engineers by the bus loads every week, the illegal contract,
If you are a veteran YOU DO NOT get get hired. THEY lie to you. When you apply for a job at Microsoft and include you are a veteran YOU WILL NOT get the job. This is a fact. THEY should be banned for shipping 90% of the workload to India. They deserve NOTHING but dissolution.
They deserve NOTHING but a boycott.
MS will be long remembered as siding with the government (for more handouts) siding with the government for more (VISAS).
Microsoft has illegally imported tens-of-thousands of India using fake contract companies. These one person companies get exclusive right to bid on contract since they agree to do business with Redmond in exchange for using up their limit of Visas, yet these companies are headquartered in India. MS goes through thousands of separate illegal one person companies and hires International workers that are shipped in via Canada/BC border crossing every few days. They then LINE up outside of Building 11 on campus every few days. MS will only let them work on month before they have to be shipped out. ALL imported workers are HOUSED TOGETHER locally across the street. THESE apartments are partnered with MS, and house 15 employees inside jsut a one bedroom apartment. When you go inside these apartments, you can not walk around. Roaches in some. THEY SLEEP on the floor. THere is no furniture. Just people laying everywhere. THe conditions resemble thrid world India. THEY are using these imigrants at the cost of the software industry as other companies are now doing the same.
THIS support of CISPA will only get them to have MORE VISAS for their importation of workers into Redmond.
Now that they have partnered with Barnes n Noble Nook and purchased 15% stake, they will be getting data on the BOOKS your read, and will be able to HAND over that data WITHOUT you knowing about it.
Now lets delete our hotmails accounts, never use a Micro$oft product as they have partnered with 666
We are living in a country WORSE than China. Yes, America kills its citizens in protest movements, Yes America assasins have taken down free speech. Just ask the Native American Indians, Just ask MLK, Just ask the Black Panthers.
Since these movement were taken out, their country has ONLY GOTTEN WORSE, EVEN WORSE then before we have become worse than the assasinations of the past. NOW they will gather us up altogether.
BOYCOTT MICROSOFT NOW!
DEMAND IMPRISONMENT FOR SOFTWARE CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY!
Government Civil Asset Forfeiture To Escalate If U.S. Senate Passes CISPA Legislation.
CISPA the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act if signed into law will allow??the military and NSA warrant-less spying on Americans? confidential electronic Communications; any transmitted private information circumventing the fourth amendment. CISPA will allow any self-protected cyber entity to share with the Feds any person?s private information that might allegedly relate to a cyber threat or crime. Considering the U.S. Government?s current business relationship with telephone and Internet companies, it should be expected the feds would use CISPA to gain unprecedented access to lawful Americans? private electronic communications. Almost every week news media reports corrupt police arrested for selling drugs, taking bribes and perjury. It is foreseeable that broad provisions in CISPA that call for private businesses / cyber entities to share among themselves and with Spy Agencies confidential information will open the door for corrupt government and police to sell a corporations? confidential information to its competitors, foreign government and others. CISPA provides insufficient safeguards to control disposition of (shared) confidential corporate / cyber entity information, including confidential information shared by spy agencies with private entities derived from spying on Americans.
The recent House Passed Cyber Security Bill overrides the Fourth Amendment. Government may use against Americans in Criminal, Civil and Administrative courts (any information) derived from CISPA warrant-less Internet spying.
CISPA will open the door for U.S. Government spy agencies such as NSA; the FBI; government asset forfeiture contractors, any private entity (to take out of context) any innocent?hastily written email, fax or phone call to allege a crime or violation was committed to cause a person?s arrest, assess fines and or civilly forfeit a business or property. There are more than 350 laws and violations that can subject property to government asset forfeiture. Government civil asset forfeiture requires only a civil preponderance of evidence for police to forfeit property, little more than hearsay.
CISPA (warrant-less electronic surveillance) will enable the U.S. Justice Department to bypass the Fourth Amendment, use information extracted from CISPA electronic surveillance) of Americans? Web Server Records, Internet Activity, transmitted emails, faxes, and phone calls to issue subpoenas in hopes of finding evidence or to prosecute Citizens for any alleged crime or violation. If the current CISPA is signed into law it is problematic federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and private government contractors will want access to prior Bush II NSA and other government illegally obtained electronic records to secure evidence to arrest Americans; civilly forfeit their homes, businesses and other assets under Title 18USC and other laws. Of obvious concern, what happens to fair justice in America if police become dependent on ?Asset Forfeiture? to help pay their salaries and budget operating costs?
Note: the passed ?Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000? (effectively eliminated) the ?five year statue of limitations? for Government Civil Asset Forfeiture of property: the statute now runs five years (from the date) police allege they ?learned? an asset became subject to forfeiture. If CISPA takes affect, allows (no warrant) electronic government surveillance of Americans, it is expected CISPA will be used by government not only to thwart cyber threats, but to aggressively prosecute Americans and businesses for any alleged crime: U.S. Government spy and police agencies; quasi government contractors for profit, will relentlessly sift through Citizen and businesses? (government retained Internet data), emails and phone communications) to discover possible crimes or civil violations.
A corrupt U.S. Government Administration too easily use CISPA no-warrant-seized emails, faxes, Internet data and phone call information) to target, blackmail and extort its political opposition; target any Citizen, corporation and others in the manner Hitler used his Nazi passed legislation that permitted no-warrant Nazi police searches and seizure of Citizens and businesses or to extort support for the Nazi fascist government. Hitler Nazi Laws made it possible for the Nazis to strong-arm German parliament to pass Hitler?s 1933 Discriminatory Decrees that suspended the Constitutional Freedoms of German Citizens. History shows how that turned out.
CISPA warrant-less electronic surveillance) has the potential of turning America into a Fascist Police State.
cispa
if this passes we should boycott delete our Facebooks & Emails call Comcast and inform them we will no longer need their high speed internet service etc… SOMEONE MAKE ONLINE FLYERS OUR A WEB PAGE SAYING THIS SO MANY OTHERS WILL WANT TO JOIN ONCE THEY LOSE TONS OF MONEY I BET THEY WOULD TAKE US USA CITIZENS MORE SERIOUS WHEN WE SAY WE OPPOSE SOMETHING!!
cispa
if this passes we should boycott delete our Facebooks & Emails call Comcast and inform them we will no longer need their high speed internet service etc… SOMEONE MAKE ONLINE FLYERS OUR A WEB PAGE SAYING THIS SO MANY OTHERS WILL WANT TO JOIN ONCE THEY LOSE TONS OF MONEY I BET THEY WOULD TAKE US USA CITIZENS MORE SERIOUS WHEN WE SAY WE OPPOSE SOMETHING!!
Tea Party Terrorists
Since CISPA is ultimately fear-based, without logical bases in law or reality, it’s no surprise that the Republican House, which toadies to the ever-fearful Tea Party, passed CISPA. The great irony is that the Tea Party is so fearful of enemies of freedom it doesn’t know that it is willing to support enemies of freedom it does: the intelligence community, big media corporations, and an army of opportunistic “cyberwar” consultants now larger than the US Army itself. Such budget sucks are costing us billions annually already, without much to show for it except our personal freedoms being invaded.
Oh, I know what will do it: remind them that Senator Obama voted for faulty FISA legislation, CISPA’s antecedent, in 2008. Hate the man, hate his legislation. You have to think crazy to win politically these days.