Citizens across the country rallied in January to defeat SOPA, a dreadful bill that could have wrecked the Internet as we know it.

The proponents of SOPA didn’t wait long to strike again. The new legistative threat the House is scheduled to vote on this week is CISPA – The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act. Don’t let the name fool you. The only ones being protected here are corporations and the government.

The Center for Democracy and Technology outline the following threats to user privacy on their CISPA Resource Page:

• CISPA has a very broad, almost unlimited definition of the information that can be shared with government agencies and it supersedes all other privacy laws.
• CISPA is likely to lead to expansion of the government’s role in the monitoring of private communications.
• CISPA is likely to shift control of government cybersecurity efforts from civilian agencies to the military.
• Once the information is shared with the government, it wouldn’t have to be used for cybersecurity, but could instead be used for other purposes.

The bill is only 18 pages long, and we encourage everyone to read it if you still aren’t convinced that this is a fundamentally flawed bill that should not be allowed to pass.

The following organizations have started petitions or published resources that make it easy for users to contact their congressional representatives.

• Electronic Frontier Foundation’s CISPA Action Page – provides the name and number of your representative and a sample script to use when you call.
• Demand Progress – provides a web form you can complete and send straight to your representative.
• ACLU – petition to Oppose CISPA and Unfettered Access to Americans’ Internet Activity.
• CNET Article: How CISPA would affect you (faq)

All of the above pages contain valuable information for you to educate yourself on the dangers and problems associated with CISPA.

Please do your part in protecting the Internet freedoms you enjoy. The failure to act may result in the abolition or infringement of the liberties we hold dear.

1. Sign the petitions.
2. Contact your Senators and state your opposition to the bill.
3. Share this information with your friends!

Recommended Resources

Do Not Track + is a FREE browser plugin created by Abine. This easy to install plugin keeps websites from tracking you. If you value your online privacy, then you should definitely take advantage of this free product.

BitDefender Safego is a Facebook application you can install that will scan your News Feed and help keep you safe from scams like this.

PRIVATE WiFi® is a Personal VPN that encrypts everything you send and receive. Don’t access Facebook from a public WiFi hotspot without it.

Action Alert | Free Parental Control offers a 100% free Internet safety solution designed for parents. There is also a Maximum Protection option for parents that need a more advanced set of tools.