Pingree to Oppose Cyber Security Bill

Press Release

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said today she plans to vote against the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) when it comes up for a vote in the House tonight.

"This bill could mean that the government could have access to the private information of Internet users without oversight or accountability," Pingree said. "It could result in your emails or your browsing history or even your personal photos being turned over to government agencies like the NSA for domestic security purposes. That sounds a lot like spying on Americans to me."

Pingree said the sweeping nature of the bill is particularly troubling.

"The bill is written so agencies like Homeland Security or the IRS could have access to your personal data without any regard to any existing privacy laws. That means laws that protect us against unwarranted wiretaps or keep our medical records private would effectively be thrown out the window in the name of national security," Pingree said.

The bill would also make any private company effectively immune from lawsuits for violating privacy rules, as long as the providers claimed they were "acting in good faith."

"We need to protect the country against cyber-security threats but we also have to balance that will protections for law-abiding Americans," Pingree said.

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