H.R. 1981 is officially called the "Protecting Children From Internet Pornographers Act of 2011." Sounds good, right? Who wouldn't want to protect our children from online trash?
But, as is the case with most things the government does for "our own good," the title doesn't make clear exactly what it will do. H.R. 1981 is just a cleverly disguised way to force online service providers to spy on your online activities and provide that information to the government.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation rightfully calls it the "Data Retention Bill." It requires providers to keep DETAILED RECORDS OF
Your internet activity for 12 months
Your name
Your address
Your bank account numbers
Your credit card numbers
Any IP addresses assigned to you
If someone were suspected of wrongdoing on the internet - for instance, of downloading child pornography - this information could be gathered by subpoena process. We expect law enforcement to gain access to this information.
But, H.R. 1981 mandates that these records be kept ON EVERY CITIZEN IN AMERICA and will be accessible by the government regardless of whether or not you have been accused of a crime!
Help save our First and Fourth Amendment rights! Please send your personalized fax to the House now now and join the fight for internet freedom. Your voices of opposition forced Congress to put SOPA and PIPA on hold; tell them you also oppose H.R. 1981. Save the internet from government control...make your voice heard right now!
Ever since Barack Obama took office, we've been fighting for internet freedom. The government is intent on getting control of the World Wide Web ...whether it's through Net Neutrality, FCC regulations, internet usage taxes, SOPA, PIPA, or now, H.R. 1981, THEY WILL COME FOR US ONLINE ... so it's up to you and me, right now, to stop any and all attempts at data collection, censorship, monitoring and taxes.
SOPA and PIPA and H.R. 1981 are huge bureaucratic initiatives meant to "protect" the American people, but in fact, they are simply freedom-killing, big government programs that give the federal government more and more control over its citizens.
Everything you do online ... reading political blogs, checking your bank statements, purchasing products, signing up for the latest coupon offer ... everything you do online will be captured by your service provider and given to the U.S. government ...
... Unless concerned voters like you continue this fight to protect freedom.
This is an URGENT CALL TO ACTION. We are continuing our campaign to send thousands and thousands of faxes to Congress, urging them to OPPOSE these dangerous bills. Please stand for FREEDOM and make sure we keep the internet free. Help us flood Congress with your personalized faxes and tell them to oppose this legislation and protect free speech and free enterprise in America. Send your message to Congress right now!
Rep. James Sensenbrenner reasonably notes, "It poses numerous risks that well outweigh any benefits, and I'm not convinced it will contribute in a significant way to protecting children."
In an election year, Barack Obama must be salivating at the potential control his administration could gain over your online activities!
And, imagine how unsafe it will be to have all your personal information, including financial data, housed in one big government database. If a hacker managed to get into this goldmine (and that is certainly possible, given that just recently the FBI itself was infiltrated) your identity and your security would be destroyed.
Unprecedented government control. A database of your online activities and personal information. The end of Internet freedom. No judicial review.
You must be thinking, "Something like this will never happen in the United States of America!"
It CAN HAPPEN and it IS HAPPENING!
Do we really want the government monitoring what we do online? Do we want them to have access to our most personal information? Do we want them spying on law-abiding citizens in the name of "protecting" us?
Of course not! Let's put a stop to this madness right now. The bill could come to a vote soon, as it has already cleared committee. Send your personalized faxes to Congress and tell them to keep their hands off the Internet and demand they preserve our First and Fourth Amendment freedoms!
But, as is the case with most things the government does for "our own good," the title doesn't make clear exactly what it will do. H.R. 1981 is just a cleverly disguised way to force online service providers to spy on your online activities and provide that information to the government.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation rightfully calls it the "Data Retention Bill." It requires providers to keep DETAILED RECORDS OF
Your internet activity for 12 months
Your name
Your address
Your bank account numbers
Your credit card numbers
Any IP addresses assigned to you
If someone were suspected of wrongdoing on the internet - for instance, of downloading child pornography - this information could be gathered by subpoena process. We expect law enforcement to gain access to this information.
But, H.R. 1981 mandates that these records be kept ON EVERY CITIZEN IN AMERICA and will be accessible by the government regardless of whether or not you have been accused of a crime!
Help save our First and Fourth Amendment rights! Please send your personalized fax to the House now now and join the fight for internet freedom. Your voices of opposition forced Congress to put SOPA and PIPA on hold; tell them you also oppose H.R. 1981. Save the internet from government control...make your voice heard right now!
Ever since Barack Obama took office, we've been fighting for internet freedom. The government is intent on getting control of the World Wide Web ...whether it's through Net Neutrality, FCC regulations, internet usage taxes, SOPA, PIPA, or now, H.R. 1981, THEY WILL COME FOR US ONLINE ... so it's up to you and me, right now, to stop any and all attempts at data collection, censorship, monitoring and taxes.
SOPA and PIPA and H.R. 1981 are huge bureaucratic initiatives meant to "protect" the American people, but in fact, they are simply freedom-killing, big government programs that give the federal government more and more control over its citizens.
Everything you do online ... reading political blogs, checking your bank statements, purchasing products, signing up for the latest coupon offer ... everything you do online will be captured by your service provider and given to the U.S. government ...
... Unless concerned voters like you continue this fight to protect freedom.
This is an URGENT CALL TO ACTION. We are continuing our campaign to send thousands and thousands of faxes to Congress, urging them to OPPOSE these dangerous bills. Please stand for FREEDOM and make sure we keep the internet free. Help us flood Congress with your personalized faxes and tell them to oppose this legislation and protect free speech and free enterprise in America. Send your message to Congress right now!
Rep. James Sensenbrenner reasonably notes, "It poses numerous risks that well outweigh any benefits, and I'm not convinced it will contribute in a significant way to protecting children."
In an election year, Barack Obama must be salivating at the potential control his administration could gain over your online activities!
And, imagine how unsafe it will be to have all your personal information, including financial data, housed in one big government database. If a hacker managed to get into this goldmine (and that is certainly possible, given that just recently the FBI itself was infiltrated) your identity and your security would be destroyed.
Unprecedented government control. A database of your online activities and personal information. The end of Internet freedom. No judicial review.
You must be thinking, "Something like this will never happen in the United States of America!"
It CAN HAPPEN and it IS HAPPENING!
Do we really want the government monitoring what we do online? Do we want them to have access to our most personal information? Do we want them spying on law-abiding citizens in the name of "protecting" us?
Of course not! Let's put a stop to this madness right now. The bill could come to a vote soon, as it has already cleared committee. Send your personalized faxes to Congress and tell them to keep their hands off the Internet and demand they preserve our First and Fourth Amendment freedoms!
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