As faithful DO readers know, we're very concerned about privacy issues. We recently began an ongoing crusade to stop spam, and thus protect the privacy of your e-mail inbox.
But a much more pernicious danger looms immediately before us. This coming Thursday, September 25, the House side of the U.S. Congress is expected to vote on a bill that could give governmental law enforcement agencies like the FBI the ability to read all of your e-mail, and monitor all of your online transactions, without even informing you.
The bill in question is HR 695, the "Security and Freedom through Encryption Act" (SAFE). Sounds Orwellian, doesn't it? But the bill itself is not the problem. The problem is a proposed amendment to the bill, the Oxley/Manton Amendment, named after its congressional sponsors.
You may recall George Orwell's novel 1984, in which Big Brother watches you from a television set. If this bill is passed, there is a very good chance that Orwell's nightmare will become your reality.
The Outrage is proud to join with The Center For Democracy and Technology, The Electronic Frontier Foundation, Americans for Tax Reform, Wired Magazine and many others in urging you to oppose the Oxley/Manton Amendment.
Think we're exaggerating? The Oxley/Manton Amendment requires that every part of the Internet be built so that the FBI can, at will, read any or all e-mail and any other communications going over the Net. Here are some key features of this amendment:
- Oxley/Manton is a dramatic expansion of government power. It would give the government immediate access to private online communications and business transactions without any notice to the user.
- Oxley/Manton strips Americans of their Fourth Amendment protection from unreasonable searches and seizures.
- Oxley/Manton would give the Attorney General authority to dictate the design of Internet services and software to fit the needs of the law enforcement establishment.
- Oxley/Manton would not stop crime. Strong encryption without immediate access features is available today both in and outside the US.
- Oxley/Manton would increase opportunities for cybercrime as criminal hackers attack vulnerabilities in the key recovery access system. In other words, if you provide the government with a key to your e-mail communications, you're also providing hackers with an opportunity to steal the key.
For legitimate law enforcement, the government must now secure the approval of a judge before tapping your phone. The Oxley/Manton Amendment would give the government the equivalent of an open ticket to tap into your Internet communications.
Don't let it happen -- this is the time to use your phone to protect your e-mail. Take action:
- Call one or all of the following four members of the committee that will vote on this amendment:
Chairman Thomas Bliley
(Republican -- VA)
202-225-2815
Rep. John Dingell
(Ranking Democrat -- MI)
202-225-4071
Rep. Tauzin
(Republican -- LA)
202-225-4031
Rep. Markey
(Democrat -- MA)
202-225-2836
- Ask for the staff member who is handling the encryption issue.
- Let them know, in no uncertain terms, that you oppose the Oxley/Manton Big Brother Amendment. It's important to distinguish between the bill, SAFE, and the amendment. We're not opposing the bill itself, just the amendment.
If you're looking for a simple way to express your Outrage, you might tell the staffer that you don't want to give the FBI the keys to your house or your car, and you've got no intention of giving them the keys to your e-mail.
STAND UP FOR YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS!
READ MORE ABOUT IT
Read more about today's Outrage in the site about the SAFE bill and this site about encryption.
