Posted by
Corthell on Sunday, March 14, 2010 7:56:32 AM
''Just as the federal government took over the airwaves, it is poised to take over Internet access with regulations that many argue are outside of its constitutional purview and best left to the private sector. Your government at work.''
Is this constitutional?
The Department of Homeland Security's Janet Napolitano says the department may eventually extend its "Einstein" technology, designed to detect and prevent electronic attacks, to networks operated by the private sector. The technology was created for federal networks.
This raises a host of questions about privacy, access, government monitoring of private networks, loss of control, and constitutional rights to privacy guaranteed in the Bill of Rights under the Fourth Amendment.
Einstein grew out of a still-classified executive order, called National Security Presidential Directive 54, that President Bush signed in 2008.
Surfin' Safari says, "Take one giant step toward Big Brother" and keep a close eye on this one.
Your government at work
As we reported in Surfin' Safari last week, the Federal Communications Commission has begun tweaking its surveys to measure Internet use by census tract – rather than county – and divide broadband into different "speed tiers."
The new research is the "first iteration of the commission's plan to collect more detailed broadband data," says FCC spokesman Mark Wigfield.
The FCC is due to present its national broadband plan to Congress on March 17. And nearly two weeks out, the FCC is already picking winners and losers based on key themes that have already been identified, such as mobile broadband networks and spectrum swaps. http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=127288