The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a bill aimed at securing the nation's computer networks from cyber attackers, but opposed by the Obama administration because of privacy concerns.
The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, which passed Thursday ((by a vote of 248-168)), allows private companies to voluntarily share data about potential threats or attacks on their networks with U.S. government intelligence agencies. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, the bill's chief sponsor, says the measure will protect the nation's intellectual property and infrastructure from nations like China and Russia, as well as criminals and terrorists.
But President Barack Obama has threatened to veto the bill because it does not adequately guard American citizens' personal information, a position echoed by civil liberties advocates. Mr. Obama is supporting a bill in the Senate that would place the Department of Homeland Security in charge of overseeing domestic cybersecurity, with the authority to set security standards.
House Speaker John Boehner criticized the president's stance, saying Mr. Obama wants the government to have total control over the Internet.