-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Shari Steele writes, re: S.974, the Anti-Electronic Racketeering Act [via gnu, on the cypherpunks list]: # Fortunately, the bill does not have a very promising # future. The bill has no co-sponsors. James R. Coleman (or John Noble ? screwed up attributions) writes [via jya, on cyberia-l]:
The bill was co-sponsored by Sens. Kyl (R-AZ) and Leahy (D-VT). It has the enthousiastic support of the administration. In a DOJ press release following its introduction, AG Reno is quoted as saying "computer crime is fast becoming everyone's problem. I'm encouraged that this bill is off to a bipartisan start, and I hope Congress will move quickly to enact it."
I think I can settle the confusion about who's sponsoring what in the Senate. The bill described by Coleman ? Noble ? on cyberia-l appears to be S.982, the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act of 1995. According to Thomas (http://thomas.loc.gov), this bill was introduced in the Senate on June 29th (not 27th), and is cosponsored by, you guessed it, Sens. Kyl, Leahy, & Grassley. It mainly consists of a section entitled "Computer Crime", which sets penalties for breaking into systems, "damaging" data, systems, etc., ad nauseum. (This is why they give bills *numbers*, folks :) Here's an excerpt from Sen Leahy's introductory remarks for S.982 in the Congressional Record: --- begin excerpts --- [...] This bill will increase protection for both government and private computers, and the information on those computers, from the growing threat of computer crime. We increasingly depend on the availability, integrity, and confidentiality of computer systems and information to conduct our business, communicate with our friends and families, and even to be entertained. [...] Second, the bill would increase protection for the privacy and confidentiality of computer information. Recently, computer hackers have accessed sensitive data regarding Operation Desert Storm, penetrated NASA computers, and broken into Federal courthouse computer systems containing confidential records. Others have abused their privileges on Government computers by snooping through confidential tax returns, or selling confidential criminal history information from the National Crime Information Center. The bill would criminalize these activities by making all those who misuse computers to obtain Government information and, where appropriate, information held by the private sector, subject to prosecution. [...] --- end excerpts --- I seem to recall reading that non-subscribers can't post to cyberia-l. Feel free to forward this there, if a similar correction hasn't already appeared. -L. Futplex McCarthy <lmccarth@cs.umass.edu> PGP key by finger or server -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 iQCVAwUBMAXVuWf7YYibNzjpAQFTQAQAhRnHxtnQ0wcIOEzO+HDgYTr8R4qBzg/h 3UL9gQYWSkGDkhCqR7k31P1Mla7aj5kRHjMg0g7Xgyi2Ag6W89jtc1E4NKj2SP9a 4vlx5qtT0lMtNIRTlUBA5p76qS+EElFAXmbAwjOgH3EJzGRymKF/vE/Unek0M/QS iI32DT+RN2w= =hbAd -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----