As Egypt goes offline US gets internet ‘kill switch’ bill ready

Ben Grubb and Asher Moses
The Age
January 31, 2011

• A d v e r t i s e m e n t

As Egypt’s government attempts to crackdown on street protests by shutting down internet and mobile phone services, the US is preparing to reintroduce a bill that could be used to shut down the internet.

The legislation, which would grant US President Barack Obama powers to seize control of and even shut down the internet, would soon be reintroduced to a senate committee, Wired.com reported.

It was initially introduced last year but expired with a new Congress.

Senator Susan Collins, a co-sponsor of the bill, said that unlike in Egypt, where the government was using its powers to quell dissent by shutting down the internet, it would not.

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This article was posted: Monday, January 31, 2011 at 8:27 am

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