IP: EFFector Bills Target Hackers Not Terrorists

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

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>      _________________________________________________________________
>
> ALERT: Hackers Could Get Life in Prison, No Parole, Under "Anti-Terrorism" 
> Bill
>
>   Act Today and Ask Your Legislators to Remove Dangerous Provisions
>
>     Electronic Frontier Foundation ACTION ALERT
>
>     (Issued: Wednesday, September 27, 2001 / Deadline: Friday, October 7, 
> 2001,
>     unless extended)
>
>   Introduction:
>
>    San Francisco, California - The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
>    today condemned portions of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) currently
>    under consideration in Congress which would treat all computer
>    trespass as terrorism (in addition to other provisions we oppose, such
>    as vast expansion of surveillance authority).
>
>    "Treating low-level computer crimes as terrorist acts is not an
>    appropriate response to recent events," said EFF Executive Director
>    Shari Steele. "A relatively harmless online prankster should not face
>    a potential life sentence in prison."
>
>    The ATA includes provisions that dramatically increase the penalties
>    for acts that have no apparent relationship to terrorism. For
>    instance, the bill would add low-level computer intrusion, already a
>    crime under other laws, to the list of "federal terrorism offenses,"
>    creating penalties of up to life imprisonment, adding broad
>    pre-conviction asset seizure powers and serious criminal threats to
>    those who "materially assist" or "harbor" individuals suspected of
>    causing minimal damage to networked computers.
>
>    Attorney General John Ashcroft asked Congress last week to pass the
>    ATA, formerly known as the Mobilization Against Terrorism Act (MATA),
>    with less than one week of consideration.
>
>    EFF believes the ATA would radically tip the United States system of
>    checks and balances, giving the government unprecedented authority to
>    surveil American citizens with little judicial or other oversight.
>
>   What YOU Can Do Now:
>
>      * Contact your own legislators about the ATA/MATA and related bills
>        AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Call them, and fax and/or e-mail the EFF
>        letter below (or your own) today. Postal mail will be too slow on
>        this issue. Feel free to use this letter verbatim, or modify it as
>        you wish. Let them know that you do not believe liberty must be
>        sacrified for security. Please be polite and concise, but firm.
>        For information on how to contact your legislators and other
>        government officials, see EFF's "Contacting Congress and Other
>        Policymakers" guide at:
>          http://www.eff.org/congress.html
>        and see also the links below.
>      * Join EFF! For membership information see:
>          http://www.eff.org/support/



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