With the introduction of the Cybersecurity Act 2009 [pdf], the president of the United States would have the power to control and shut down the Internet in a time of emergency.  Not surprising, Senators Jay Rockefeller (D-W. Va.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) believe so and are the ones responsible for the Act’s introduction.

In traditional Washington fashion, the bill doesn’t not detail what a critical emergency, critical information network, or cybersecurity emergency is.  That decision will solely be left up to the president.

The bill does not only add to the power of the president. It also grants the Secretary of Commerce “access to all relevant data concerning [critical] networks without regard to any provision of law, regulation, rule, or policy restricting such access.” This means he or she can monitor or access any data on private or public networks without regard to privacy laws.

The bill could undermine the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), says CDT senior counsel Greg Nojeim. That law, enacted in the mid ’80s, requires law enforcement seek a warrant before tapping in to data transmissions between computers.

“It’s an incredibly broad authority,” Nojeim says, pointing out that existing privacy laws “could fall to this authority.”

Having the ability to shut down the Internet is insane.  If the president is given this power, the last bit of free space in the world will be lost.  The Internet is a fascinating place where everyone can speak their opinion, hopefully, without fear of reprisal.  When you restrict that, you end up with China or North Korea.

Shutting down the Internet reduces everyone’s ability to access to information.  Without it, you will be subjected to only hearing the information the government wants you to hear.  Is that what everyone really wants?  We already have bloggers rights violated and Ron Paul supporters being watched, detained and labeled as terrorists.

Do not think for one moment that anyone in the government has your best interests at heart.  They are in it for their own power, glory, and gold.  And they don’t care if they take a crap on the Bill of Rights while climbing the ladder to the top.

Remember, Jay Rockefeller said the Internet never should have existed.  That’s the bill’s sponsor.

Despite what Senators Rockefeller and Snowe desire, this bill doesn’t even have a number yet.  Americans need to shut this down before it goes any further.