Talking Points Memo defends CISPA

Talking Points Memo resorts to casuistry to defend CISPA, the new threat to our online privacy.

TPM distinguishes CISPA from SOPA, which was a much lengthier bill explicitly designed to end piracy. CISPA will also be used to protect "intellectual property," although the language in the new bill is much more amorphous.

That very vagueness allows SOPA to enter through the back door.

What TPM does not understand is that the new bill's security provisions are, in and of themselves, monstrous. Ending piracy is a more defensible goal than is ending privacy.

In contrast, CISPA is short at only 11 pages: It’s purpose to allow for easier sharing of “cyber threat intelligence” and “information” between intelligence agencies like the NSA and the CIA, with private companies like Google and Facebook, and vice versa.

In other words, TPM doesn't mind if Uncle, without a warrant, demands to see Google's records of your online activity -- the porn you look at, the political sites you visit, the torrents you check out, the metadata attached to your private photos, all of it.

Did you know that Google keeps a record of everything you do online? Even if you delete all cookies on your system, you won't delete Google's nearly-immortal "super cookies," known as LSOs. CISPA makes it easy for Uncle to latch onto all of that private information -- without a warrant.

But then again, why worry? It's not as though governments have ever been known to repress the political rights of the citizenry. I'm sure that CISPA isn't intended to make it easy for Uncle to keep track of dissenters. No, no. Nothing like that. This is all about those nasty old terrorists and pedophiles...terrorists and pedophiles....

Josh Marshall seems to be okay with all of this Big Brother crap. Will someone please contact that guy and tell him what the words "Get a warrant" mean?

Over in Europe, people are getting wise. Doltishly smug Americans pride themselves on their individualism even though they are, in fact, far more sheep-like than are their European cousins. In the old world, folks won't tolerate anything like CISPA. They demand the right to tell Google "Forget all about me."

One of most important plans to their updated privacy laws is something called the “right to be forgotten”.

This right will allow users to demand Internet companies (such as Google) to permanently delete their personal data when requested to do so. This right is designed to give Internet users back control of their personal data. Google, as you might have already guessed, is against this.

Those words come from an excellent site called Google Exposed. The post goes on to quote one Richard Falkenrath, former special assistant to the President in the areas of cybersecurity and counter-terrorism:

"I learned to appreciate the power of electronic data integration as a White House counterterrorism aide, working to enhance government electronic surveillance powers. But Google, by gaining the consent of its users in the form of a quick tick, has secured the power to build an electronic surveillance apparatus that far exceeds anything the Bush administration tried to do."

Let me repeat: CISPA will hand that database over to Uncle.

And Josh Marshall seems to be fine with that.