Dangerous Cybersecurity Bill Passes House, Despite Opposition from White House and Civil Liberties Groups

WASHINGTON -- On Thursday, the House of Representatives voted to pass its privacy-threatening cybersecurity bill, the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA).

The White House indicated on Tuesday that it would veto the bill in its current form given CISPA's failure to safeguard privacy and civil liberties.

Free Press Action Fund Policy Director Matt Wood made the following statement:

“We are disappointed that the bill's sponsors once again ignored the overwhelming opposition to this dangerous bill from the public, civil liberties advocates and even the White House.

“CISPA would still obliterate our privacy laws and chill free expression online. The few amendments made to the legislation do not address all the concerns highlighted by the White House and by the representatives who stood up against CISPA this week. We need to make sure companies remove irrelevant personal information when they share our data, and that companies can be held accountable for ignoring and abusing Internet users' civil liberties.

“If the Senate takes up cybersecurity again, it should take the necessary steps to protect everyone's privacy and personal information.”