Update: The Internet Killswitch

I posted about Senator Joe Lieberman's attempt at putting a "Kill Switch" on the internet - or at least some parts of it - this summer, and it looks like the issue isn't dead yet.

According to an article I just read, 61% of Americans support giving the President an internet "Kill Switch" in case of a cyber attack in the future.  While I agree that internet security is fast becoming an international issue as Chinese hackers have already made attacks on large American and international firms, is giving one man the power to shut down the greatest form of free communication wise?

I just think about the recent Iranian quasi-revolution that was followed by the world on Twitter, and the way that we could get a first-hand look at what was happening without a single journalist being in harm's way.  This kind of instant communication is one of the greatest aspects of the internet, and putting it in jeopardy by allowing a single person to simply cut it off is - in my humble opinion - very dangerous.

That being said, I'm sure it won't take long to figure out a way around this "Kill Switch" - if you've ever worked in an office with limited internet, you probably know at least a few people who have figured out how to get around it with a remote isp - but it could be very difficult and/or costly, not to mention legally risky.