Posted on 09/25/2016 7:23:43 PM PDT by Freedom56v2
Cruz and Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., introduced the Protecting Internet Freedom Act in June to prevent the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, an agency of the Commerce Department, from allowing an ICANN-related contract to expire at the end of this month.
The internet, an “oasis of freedom,” could become much less free if the United States doesn’t keep guardianship over it, Sen. Ted Cruz said Wednesday during a hearing on Capitol Hill.
“The internet is one of the most revolutionary forces ever unleashed on the world,” Cruz, R-Texas, said during the Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing.
“People even meet and get married through the internet,” he added.
Because of the power of the internet, Cruz and others said, the U.S. should not transfer vital administrative controls to an international body that includes oppressive regimes. One homeland security expert called the Obama administration plan to delegate accountability a “leap in the dark.”
Currently, the U.S Commerce Department oversees the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the nonprofit organization that designates internet domain names and addresses.
The Obama administration intends to transfer oversight of ICANN to a nongovernmental organization for “the long-term security and wellbeing of the internet,” Josh Earnest, White House press secretary, said Monday at a press briefing. The proposed transition of the internet to global control is set to take place Oct. 1.
Keeping the internet under the control of the United States protects First Amendment rights such as free speech online, Cruz, chairman of the Judiciary subcommittee on oversight, agency action, federal rights and federal courts, said.
“Because of the First Amendment to our Constitution, which affords more protection for speech than anywhere else in the world, the United States government—as long as it has authority to oversee the infrastructure of the
(Excerpt) Read more at dailysignal.com ...
internet—has a duty to ensure that no website is denied internet access on account of the ideas it espouses,” Cruz said.
“The U.S. government … has a duty to ensure no website is denied internet access on account of the ideas it espouses.” —@SenTedCruz
“The openness, security, and stability of the internet are [of] principal importance to all of us who use the internet around the world—and yet it is the United States’ historic stewardship and its role over key internet management functions that helps to ensure this openness, security, and stability,” Judiciary Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said at the hearing.
Lawrence E. Strickling, administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, urged Congress not to block the transition to a “long-promised privatization” of the domain name system for the internet.
“The best and most effective way to preserve internet freedom is to depend on the community of stakeholders who own and operate, transact business, and exchange information over the myriad of networks that comprise the internet,” Strickling, an appointee of President Barack Obama, testified.
Many conservative groups express concerns over transferring the powers to foreign control.
“Allowing a U.N.-type body to oversee ICANN puts the free speech rights of people around the world at risk,” Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said in a prepared statement.
Some are worried this could lead to censorship online.
en. Chris Coons, D-Del., ranking member on the subcommittee, noted that the U.S. “does not own the internet.”
Upon questioning from Coons, Göran Marby, CEO and president of ICANN, testified that the internet corporation doesn’t have the ability to censor the internet.
“ICANN, however, cannot and does not use this technical mandate to control what internet users access, do, or say over the internet. ICANN is just one of the entities that performs work necessary to the operation of the internet, and there is no single point of control,” Marby said in prepared testimony.
To his understanding, Marby said, ICANN is not bound by the First Amendment. He could not give assurance that the organization would stay headquartered in California, where it is based now, but pointed out that the organization’s bylaws were created based on California law.
Relinquishing US #Internet oversight to an international body, not bound by the 1st Amendment, endangers #FreeSpeech pic.twitter.com/8Vk71z8Z90
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) September 14, 2016
Some worry that those bylaws could be amended to become less respectful of freedom under a new administrative authority.
Strickling, the Commerce Department official, testified that it would not be effective to continue the existing contract and that doing so could lead to a loss of internet freedoms. He said:
That contract is simply too limited in scope to be a tool for protecting internet freedom. It simply designates ICANN to perform the technical … functions of managing the database of protocol parameters, allocating IP [internet protocol] numbers, and processing changes to the root zone file.
Big technology companies, including Facebook, Google, and Twitter, wrote a letter to Congress in support of transferring technical management of the internet to a global body.
“Just to clarify … if the [internet] transition goes forward … the United States would be on the very same footing as would Russia or Iran or China?” Cruz questioned Strickling.
“That’s correct … ” Strickling answered.
Cruz and Duffy’s legislation, which would not let the existing contract lapse without an act of Congress, has 32 co-sponsors, including original Senate co-sponsors Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and James Lankford, R-Okla.
Lankford has called the Obama administration’s proposal an “internet giveaway” that he will try to stop.
Dawn Grove, corporate counsel for Karsten Manufacturing Corp., testified:
We believe rushing the transition through now in its current state will endanger manufacturers’ rights to their trademarked brand names, severely disadvantage states’ rights, jeopardize national security, and prevent the safeguarding of the internet freedoms we have come to depend on.
“My hope is that Congress will intervene to safeguard the free and open internet for the use of the world, and hold Commerce to actively oversee ICANN’s activity and help repair its faulty structure in the waning hours when it still has time and authority to do so,” Grove added, referring to the Commerce Department in prepared testimony.
Paul Rosenzweig, former deputy assistant secretary for policy at the Department of Homeland Security, testified that he favors the transition, but “as it’s drafted now, the accountability side of this is a leap in the dark.” He suggested a plan that would include a trial period before a formal transition.
“Nobody can reasonably tell you that there is certainty about how it will work out,” Rosenzweig, a homeland security consultant who is a former legal research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, said in prepared testimony. “Yet the safe and secure functioning of the network is vital to economic and political freedom around the globe.”
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Everyone needs to call, email, or tweet their elected officials and bring the vote to the floor for the Protection of Internet Freedom Act - HR5418 or SB3034 and this needs to be done IN NEXT FOUR DAYS~no pressure folks :(
For anyone in mood to contact Pelosi or Reid, they can be told to stop loading up the Continuing Resolutions with liberal pork==that is their ploy to make the CR with additional add ons not possible for GOP to vote on...
We need to add on the Protection of Internet Freedom Act to keep the internet here!
...Some worry that those bylaws could be amended to become less respectful of freedom under a new administrative (world) authority...
Ya Think??
..Some worry that those bylaws could be amended to become less respectful of freedom under a new administrative (world) authority...
Ya Think??
Call/Email/Tweet Congress tomorrow regarding Protecting Internet Freedom Bill SB3031 and HR5418.
This is crunch time folks...Dems are porking up the bill :(
“..Lankford has called the Obama administration’s proposal an “internet giveaway” that he will try to stop...”
Obama is working hard to GIVE AWAY the oversight of the Internet and the rights the USA has to its developments to his GLOBALIST BUDDIES in the UN. The Repubs know it, as do all of Obama’s radical stooges, and they better not pass any legislation to effect same. Force Obama to use an EO to do anything regarding the Internet so President Trump can negate ALL OF OBAMA’S overreach.
I’m sure the NSA agrees....
A day late and a dollar short. Obama’s doing it, and Congress isn’t going to stop him.
I’m sure the NSA agrees....
So what are you saying? Do you think it would be better to have UN or China in charge of our .gov and .mil extensions?
Wouldn’t it be fun to think you are uploading your tax payment to the IRS only to find it is some Chinese entity...
Fact that Obama is pushing this tells me plenty!
Freepers, now is not the time to be keyboard warriors—Call/email/tweet your elected officials—if you are in the mood—call Pelosi and Reid and tell them to stop playing politics with our internet...
This is dangerous stuff. Find out where your law maker stands on this NOW.
Please add keywords!
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Anybody can add key words.
Please add keywords!
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Anybody can add key words.
Yes, any one PERSON can add UP TO FOUR keywords—I put in my four words...
However, if I want additional keywords for enchanced searching, then I need to request OTHERS TO ADD THEM...which I did.
This is dangerous stuff. Find out where your law maker stands on this NOW.
CALL/TWEET/EMAIL YOUR SENATORS AND CONGRESSCRITTERS TOMORROW...Bring to a vote the Protecting the Internet Freedom Act SB3031 and HR5418.
OH, AND TELL PELOSI AND REID TO STOP PLAYING POLITICS WITH OUR INTERNET~!!!
A day late and a dollar short. Obama’s doing it, and Congress isn’t going to stop him
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You do not know that...I have talked to Duffy’s office and things are still in motion...
With all due respect, what have YOU done to stop this?
“..Lankford has called the Obama administration’s proposal an “internet giveaway” that he will try to stop...”
Obama is working hard to GIVE AWAY the oversight of the Internet and the rights the USA has to its developments to his GLOBALIST BUDDIES in the UN. The Repubs know it, as do all of Obama’s radical stooges, and they better not pass any legislation to effect same. Force Obama to use an EO to do anything regarding the Internet so President Trump can negate ALL OF OBAMA’S overreach.
My spouse wrote congress...got a quick supportive reply, but the congressman did not even know about the bills pending NOW!
People need to contact their elected representatives and tell them to bring SB3031 and HR5418 PROTECTING INTERNET FREEDOM ACT to a vote IN THE NEXT 4 DAYS AND VOTE YES.
As John Bolton has said:
John Bolton on Obama’s Internet Handover: ‘Within Ten Years, the Internet as We Know It Will End’
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3472489/posts
Besides, our NOMINEE, DONALD TRUMP SUPPORTS PROTECTING INTERNET FREEDOM ACT!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3472239/posts
I see you’re in Illinois too. Who we gonna vote for in the senate race? As for me, it won’t be Mark Kirk.
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I'm not in Congress.
No, but if YOU don’t let them know what is important to YOU, why should they care?
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