Category Archives: Cybersecurity

ALA applauds the Senate Judiciary Committee for protecting privacy rights!

Posted on April 25, 2013 by | 1 Comment

Today the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to pass a bill that will update the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA).  ECPA last updated in 1986, does not adequately address the digital world.  The Electronic Communications Privacy Act Amendments Act of 2013 ( S. 607) proposed by Chairman Leahy (D-VT) will reform this outdated privacy law by providing suitable privacy protections to both email and cloud storage.

That ALA will continue to work with Digital Due Process to move this issue forward!

About Jessica McGilvray

Jessica McGilvary is the Assistant Director of ALA Washington Office's Office of Government Relations (OGR).

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Posted in Cybersecurity, OGR

A week of action opposing CISPA

Posted on March 19, 2013 by | Leave a comment

The ALA belongs to a coalition of Internet advocacy organizations and individuals that are launching a week of action to combat the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA). Viewing CISPA as one of the greatest threats to Internet users since SOPA, the coalition intends to leverage popular outrage to oppose the dangerously broad cybersecurity bill.

The objectionable provisions of CISPA include:

  • Eviscerating existing privacy laws by giving legal immunity to companies who share users’ private information, including the content of communications, with the government.
  • Authorizing companies to disclose users’ data directly to the NSA, a military agency that operates secretly and without public accountability.
  • Broad definitions that allow users’ sensitive personal information to be used for a range of purposes, including “national security,” not just computer and network security.

The coalition believes that legislation intended to enhance our computer and network security must not sacrifice long-standing civil liberties and protections. Some examples: Contact your Congressional Representatives, asking the White House to renew its promise to veto CISPA, tweeting (hashtags are #CISPA, #StopCISPA and #CISPAAlert).

 

About Jessica McGilvray

Jessica McGilvary is the Assistant Director of ALA Washington Office's Office of Government Relations (OGR).

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Posted in Cybersecurity, OGR

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Like a bad penny, CISPA has returned…

Posted on February 22, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Last week, Rep. Mike J. Rogers (R-MI) and Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) introduced the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act of 2013, H.R. 624 (CISPA) in the House. This is essentially the same bill (H.R. 3523) that the House passed in April of last year and that the President Obama threatened to veto . The President has again made his opinion known, this time via an executive order, Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity. In the absence of legislation in this area, the executive order provides policy for the federal government to increase its cybersecurity.

CISPA would make it possible for private companies to share information with the government while keeping info from the public, violating the spirit of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Page seven, lines 10-13 (pdf) of the bill clearly state that cyber threat information shared with the federal government “shall be exempt from disclosure under section 552 of title 5, United States Code (Commonly known as the ‘Freedom of Information Act’”. The ironic thing is that much of the information that the companies might share is already protected under FOIA!

The American Library Association will again work with other civil liberty groups to oppose CISPA. Please stay tuned for more information as this movement progresses!

For more information, please visit the ALA’s website.

About Jessica McGilvray

Jessica McGilvary is the Assistant Director of ALA Washington Office's Office of Government Relations (OGR).

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Posted in Cybersecurity, Intellectual Freedom, OGR, Open Access

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The Fiscal Cliff, the 113th Congress and You – How Today’s Economic Uncertainty Might Impact the Library Community

Posted on January 10, 2013 by | Leave a comment
nlakind - fiscal cliff

image via instagram user, nlakind

Pundits and politicians from both parties agree that while the 112th Congress may have averted an immediate plunge over the fiscal cliff through its New Years package of tax extenders and sequestration delays, this debate is nowhere near over.  That’s where the 113th Congress comes in.  With almost 100 new members of the House and Senate, there are a lot of new faces to meet, greet and persuade on the value of libraries.

Your voice is more important now than ever before.  Only you can help stop immediate and dramatic cuts to LSTA, IMLS and other critical funding programs.  Wait, federal funding isn’t your main concern? How about averting changes to cybersecurity, copyright, broadband and elementary and secondary act policies that will negatively impact libraries around the country?

In short, everyone in the library community should join us for an update on the fiscal cliff / sequestration situation as well as the policy issues most likely to be considered in the coming year.  Perhaps most important, we’ll tell you how best to speak up — and make a difference.

Date: Thursday, January 17, 2013
Time: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM EST

Register

About Jacob Roberts

Jacob Roberts is the communications specialist for the ALA Washington Office.

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Posted in Copyright, Cybersecurity, Library Advocacy, OGR, Public Libraries, School Libraries, Webinars

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Ask your senators to support privacy amendments in cybersecurity bill

Posted on July 29, 2012 by | 18 Comments

UPDATE, 8/2/2012: This morning the U.S. Senate took a cloture vote to end debate on S.3414, the Cybersecurity Act of 2012. The vote was recorded as 52-46 meaning there was not the 60 votes necessary to advance the bill. This vote signals that the bill will likely not be taken up this year.

Thank you to all those who contacted your senators on this important issue. The fight to protect privacy is far from over though. Sign up for text alerts from the Washington Office to receive the most up to date information on advocacy alerts and events.

Check back right here on District Dispatch in the coming days for more analysis on this vote.

Call today

This week the Senate is considering major cybersecurity legislation, S. 3414 that could let the government collect your sensitive and personal internet records. The bill is in flux and subject to change during floor debate with “good” and “bad” amendments. Your calls can make the difference. It is imperative that you call your senators now.

 

  • Vote YES on privacy amendments like the Franken-Paul amendment so that companies do not have  the overbroad authority to monitor and even block our private communications, and,
  • Vote NO on anti-privacy amendments like the McCain and Hutchison amendments that would allow the NSA and military to directly collect and use Americans’ personal internet information.

Again, Vote YES on Franken-Paul and NO on antiprivacy amendments. Thank you!

Additional Resources:

About

Ted Wegner is the Grassroots Coordinator for ALA Washington Office's Office of Government Relations (OGR).

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Posted in Cybersecurity, Intellectual Freedom, Library Advocacy, Network Neutrality, OGR, Telecommunications

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