Interest groups protest CISPA secrecy

The House Intelligence Committee will discuss the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) for the second time. And for the second time, it will do so behind closed doors.

The bill is designed to make it easier for private companies to share the personal information of their customers (otherwise known as American citizens) with the government in the interest of protecting the security of computer networks. In part, it would exempt companies from existing privacy laws. The "markup" session, where proposed amendments are debated, doesn't yet appear on the committee's schedule, but members are reportedly assuming it will be held next week. Interest groups devoted to privacy and transparency are bristling at the secrecy, just as they did a year ago, before an earlier version of the bill passed the House and was rejected by the Senate. "The committee should consider CISPA in the light of day," says the Sunlight Foundation. "CISPA has the potential to affect the lives of every American and has drawn criticism from numerous privacy groups as well as the White House. Legislation this critical, and with this much potential to hinder the public's ability to hold their government accountable, deserves to be debated in full public view, not hidden behind closed doors." The foundation joined about 40 other groups including the American Civil Liberties Union to sign a letter to the committee demanding an open markup hearing.