Obama to be given the right to shut down the internet with 'kill switch'

From the Daily Mail (June 18):

President Obama will be given the power to shut down the Internet with a 'kill switch' in a new law being proposed in the US.

He would be able to order popular search engines such a Google and Yahoo to suspend access their websites in times of national emergency.

Other US based Internet service providers as well as broadband providers would also come under his control in times of a 'cybersecurity emergency.' Any company that failed to comply would be subject to huge fines.

Critics of the new law, which has been proposed by former presidential candidate Joe Liebermann, said it would be an abuse of power to let the White House control the internet. [read more]

This bill is over-kill. The Emperor would use this switch when the country is under a cyberattack like another country hacking into the US companies. But the question is who is going to determine how severe the emergency is for the 'kill switch' to be flipped? The gov't of course. Or maybe a gov't commission like the one created to handle the oil spill in the Gulf will determine when the kill switch is flipped. That really makes me feel better. Not!

Keep in mind this the same administration that said "never let a good crises go to waste." A cybersecurity emergency would of course be a crises.