Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Subscribe
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Subscribe
    Home Cloud
    • Cloud
    • Cybersecurity
    • Networking

    House Defeats Amendment to Drop DNS Blocking From Stop Online Piracy Act

    Written by

    Fahmida Y. Rashid
    Published December 16, 2011
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      The House Judiciary Committee debated the Stop Online Piracy Act and a multitude of proposed amendments on Dec. 15. The committee is set to resume debate on Dec. 16, and no final vote has been taken on the bill.

      If passed, SOPA would result in creating a “blacklist” of sites selling or distributing copyrighted content. Companies who believe a site is infringing on their copyright can get a judge to sign an order that would require advertising networks and payment processors to stop serving those sites and Internet service providers to stop letting users access those sites. The bill has been widely supported by the record and movie industries but opposed by civil liberties groups and several major Internet companies, such as Google and Facebook.

      The legislation gives legal immunity to financial institutions and ad networks that choose to boycott “rogue” sites even without having been ordered to do so. It also does not affect sites ending in .com, .org or .net. Only sites registered in other countries would be subject to SOPA.

      “Laws equip U.S. authorities and rights holders to take action against criminals who operate within our borders. But there is no parallel authority that permits effective action against criminals who operate from abroad,” said Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), the bill’s sponsor and committee chairman said in an opening statement.

      In the markup, lawmakers read the entire bill, and then debate each amendment and vote to accept or reject it. When the process is finished, the bill and all the amendments that passed are put to a vote to decide whether to move the bill out of the committee and to the floor for the entire House of Representatives to debate and vote on. There are more than 60 amendments to SOPA, and the committee got through just six on the first day of markup.

      During the debate, the committee voted 22-12 to reject an amendment introduced by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif) that would have removed one of the more controversial provisions in the bill, the one that would force changes to core Internet infrastructure. The bill would require ISPs to interfere with how the Domain Name System works when directing users to the Websites they want in order to prevent them from accessing blacklisted sites. ISPs could employ the same tactics used by China in its nation-wide firewall to censor portions of the Internet for its citizens.

      Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) noted that Internet security experts have raised concerns about the bill’s effect on DNSSEC, a set of applications that secure DNS from malicious attacks. “Maybe we ought to ask some nerds about what this really does,” Chaffetz said, adding, “If you don’t know what DNSSEC is, you don’t know what you’re doing.”

      Rep. Mel Watt (D-NC) said while he wasn’t a “nerd,” he felt security experts were exaggerating the security implications for the Internet if the bill mandated ISPs to tamper with DNS. “I’m not a person to argue about the technology of this,” Watt said. He voted against the amendment.

      The committee held hearings on the bill in November, but not one technical expert was called to testify. Many lawmakers urged Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), the bill’s sponsor and committee chairman, to hold another hearing with actual technical experts. Smith declined, saying he has “every intention” of going forward “today, tomorrow and however long it takes.”

      Rep. Dan Lungren, (R-Calif.) felt the committee was moving too quickly and should slow down and listen to technical experts. “Why is there this rush to judgment?” Lungren asked. “Why can’t we slow down and take a look?” he asked.

      An amendment that would have excluded universities and research institutions from having to take part in blacklisting sites was defeated. It also rejected an amendment proposed by Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colorado) that the pornography industry would not be protected. The committee rejected Polis’ amendment 18-9.

      Fahmida Y. Rashid
      Fahmida Y. Rashid

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.