John Cornyn Takes on Obama’s flag@whitehouse.gov Program, But Wait! There’s More with the NTIA


The Weekly Standard noted Senator John Cornyn sent a letter to Barack Obama asking him to intervene in the flag@whitehouse.gov matter.

Senator Cornyn notes

I am not aware of any precedent for a President asking American citizens to report their fellow citizens to the White House for pure political speech that is deemed ‘fishy’ or otherwise inimical to the White House’s political interests,” Sen. Cornyn wrote. “You should not be surprised that these actions taken by your White House staff raise the specter of a data collection program. As Congress debates health care reform and other critical policy matters, citizen engagement must not be chilled by fear of government monitoring the exercise of free speech rights.

You can see a PDF of the letter here.

But wait . . . there’s more. Imagine, if you would, cross referencing those forwarded emails to the White House with another database the Obama Administration has ordered set up.

Congress adopted the Broadband Data Improvement Act in 2008 to compile of map of the nation showing which areas have broadband and which do not. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration is getting the information, but the Obama Administration has decided to use the NTIA to get more than the law requires.

Beyond the general data on which parts of the nation have high speed internet access and is it cable or DSL, Obama wants to know down to the individual what the individual has and how much the individual pays. Specifically, the NTIA is now requiring internet provides to give the government “average revenue per end user and data regarding type, technical specification or location of broadband infrastructure,” i.e. your home address, IP address, how much you pay, and where the connection is at your house.

The law does not require it. Congress does not want it. The NTIA admits the information will not be used to compile the map of national broadband, but Barack Obama still wants it.

We have a White House asking neighbors to turn in neighbors by forwarding emails — some of which will contain IP address information. And we have the White House demanding internet providers provide them with the home addresses corresponding to those IP addresses. Lastly, we have a White House that has thus far been extremely opaque despite pledges of transparency and a White House that has not hesitated to use private citizens information when it benefits them.

Be worried.


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12 Comments Leave a comment

Do you have a link?

muffin Wednesday, August 5th at 3:22PM EST (link)

Do you have a link about the NTIA providing this additional information to the Obama administration?

This is serious business and we need to follow through immediately.

Thanks

Fortitudine vincimus – By endurance we conquer

 

One question

Marcus_Traianus (Diary) Wednesday, August 5th at 3:38PM EST (link)

Where are all the people that were screaming about “domestic spying” during the Bush years? ACLU and friends? Anybody?

So now political speech in the way of dissension, which by the way is protected under the Constitution, is now elevated above listening to terrorists call their cohorts and plot to kill our neighbors. Makes sense to me.

“Both of our political parties, at least the honest portion of them, agree conscientiously in the same object—the public good; but they differ essentially in what they deem the means of promoting that good. One side believes it best done by one composition of the governing powers; the other, by a different one. One fears most the ignorance of the people; the other, the selfishness of rulers independent of them. Which is right, time and experience will prove.”.Thomas Jefferson

 

I just called Senator Burr's DC office about this...

Patrick_Murdock (Diary) Wednesday, August 5th at 3:51PM EST (link)

I just called Senator Burr’s DC office about this latest outrage from Obama and the representative who took my call did not know about it – amazing. The Republicans should be all over this and demand that it be stopped.

http://www.patrickscartoons.com

 

Cornyn is obviously too well-dressed...

CSUFBomb (Diary) Wednesday, August 5th at 4:01PM EST (link)

…to be sincere. Just ask Baba Boxer.

The Community-Organizer-In-Chief, the same guy who told Democrats to get in the faces of anyone who disagrees with them, somehow loses his taste for in-your-face community organizing when the tables are turned and he’s confronted with him own words professing single payer love, legitimate numbers from the CBO proving his magical formula a hoax, and American citizens who now want answers to legitimate questions.


“We want great men who, when fortune frowns, will not be discouraged.” – Colonel Henry Knox

 

Cornyn is obviously too well-dressed...

CSUFBomb (Diary) Wednesday, August 5th at 4:01PM EST (link)

…to be sincere. Just ask Baba Boxer.

The Community-Organizer-In-Chief, the same guy who told Democrats to get in the faces of anyone who disagrees with them, somehow loses his taste for in-your-face community organizing when the tables are turned and he’s confronted with him own words professing single payer love, legitimate numbers from the CBO proving his magical formula a hoax, and American citizens who now want answers to legitimate questions.


“We want great men who, when fortune frowns, will not be discouraged.” – Colonel Henry Knox

 

Blow the Whistle on This

CarolT (Diary) Wednesday, August 5th at 4:06PM EST (link)

I get DC examiner emails. Yesterday Congressman Issa sent letter to Emanuel that this is not Chicago and we don’t use thugs. There is a Republican Committee on Oversight website. I just used the Blow the Whiste feature on it about illegally using NTIA info.

 

The Police State

Rick Hyde (Diary) Wednesday, August 5th at 4:08PM EST (link)

I guess we have officially become a police state with the White Houses request for citizens to turn their fellow citizens in for spreading so called dis-information about Obamacare. Since when is it against the law to disagree with something?

I recall a speech Hillary Clinton made when she was screeching about a democracy is all about being able to disagree and protest something you don’t like. I love the Statist’s, they are all about democracy and voicing your opinion until it goes against their views. When you don’t agree with their view point you are EVIL.

I wonder where they are going to put the Soviet style gulags…I mean re-education camps. I guess San Francisco is a good place for one. New York City is probably another good place. There will be plenty of space in the city once the high taxes drive all the businesses out. Well I guess all of us dis-information spreaders will find out soon.

I guess the only right thing to do is too make sure that there are more of us spreading so called dis-information than there are to take us away.

Liberty Forever!

Rick Hyde

Rick Hyde

 

I hope lots of people send emails

BAW Wednesday, August 5th at 5:41PM EST (link)

so mine won’t stand out too much.

 

I hope lots of people send emails

BAW Wednesday, August 5th at 5:41PM EST (link)

so mine won’t stand out too much.

"Check this out, comrade,"

blooch Wednesday, August 5th at 9:36PM EST (link)

“This guy sent two e-mails, and they’re EXACTLY THE SAME.”

“Flag ‘im.”

“Lieutenant Dike wasn’t a bad leader because he made bad decisions. He was a bad leader because he made no decisions.”

 
 

Links? Sources?

beachrat Thursday, August 6th at 10:07AM EST (link)

I’d like to pass this information on but without links or sources it’s not very valuable. Can you provide anything further, please?

Thanks in advance.

 

Links? Sources? (re NTIA info)

beachrat Thursday, August 6th at 10:08AM EST (link)

Sorry if the above comment is not clear. I’d like to share the NTIA-related information but without links or sources it’s not very valuable and won’t convince anyone. Can you provide some further sources or documentation, please?

Thanks