Senate Won't Look at CISPA

Few will likely be surprised by the U.S. Senate's decision not to even consider the cyber intelligence sharing bill, CISPA.

April 30, 2013 •

The controversial Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, known as CISPA, is dead on arrival in the United States Senate, according to the Los Angeles Times. The measure passed the House of Representatives handily on April 18.

The legislation would have enabled two-way information sharing between private-sector companies and the government in the event of a cyberattack. Supporters include a broad coalition of telecommunications and technology companies, who argue that CISPA would help them defend against escalating security threats.

CISPA authors Reps. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., and Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Md., of the House Intelligence Committee, reintroduced the bill this year, after it stalled in the Senate in 2012.

The Obama administration had threatened to veto the legislation due to inadequate safeguards for civil liberties. Privacy advocates like the American Civil Liberties Union are cheering the decision by the Senate to kill the bill, hoping instead that they'll pursue a policy with more extensive privacy protections in place.

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Noelle Knell

Noelle Knell is the executive editor for e.Republic, responsible for setting the overall direction for e.Republic’s editorial platforms, including Government Technology, Governing, Industry Insider, Emergency Management and the Center for Digital Education. She has been with e.Republic since 2011, and has decades of writing, editing and leadership experience. A California native, Noelle has worked in both state and local government, and is a graduate of the University of California, Davis, with majors in political science and American history.

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Senate Won't Look at CISPA

Few will likely be surprised by the U.S. Senate's decision not to even consider the cyber intelligence sharing bill, CISPA.