Feinstein Bill Would Require Social Media Companies To Report Online 'Terrorist Activity'
SAN BERNARDINO (CBSLA.com/AP) — Lawmakers have introduced a bill that would require technology companies to report online "terrorist activity" they become aware of to law enforcement.
The "Requiring Reporting of Online Terrorist Activity Act" (PDF) introduced Tuesday by Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Republican Sen. Richard Burr is modeled on a law requiring reporting of online child pornography, according to the bill's authors.
Feinstein took to Twitter to defend the legislation against opponents who say it could be construed as an attack on First Amendment rights: "The bill does not criminalize free speech. It requires warning of potential terrorist behavior."
The bill does not criminalize free speech. It requires warning of potential terrorist behavior. https://t.co/DzYSURzegr
— Senator Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) December 8, 2015
According to Feinstein, the bill would not require companies to monitor customers or "undertake any additional action to turn up terrorist activity", but would instead require companies to report any information upon becoming aware of "terrorist activity such as attack planning, recruitment or distribution of terrorist material".
"We're in a new age where terrorist groups like ISIL are using social media to reinvent how they recruit and plot attacks," Feinstein said. "That information can be the key to identifying and stopping terrorist recruitment or a terrorist attack, but we need help from technology companies."
This legislation was approved unanimously by the Senate Intelligence Committee in June as part of the annual intelligence authorization bill, but was later removed from the bill in order to allow the underlying legislation to move through the Senate, according to Feinstein.
President Barack Obama said Sunday that he would urge high-tech and law enforcement leaders to make it harder for terrorists to use technology to escape from justice.
The FBI is investigating last week's shooting attack in San Bernardino as an act of terrorism.
Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden says he opposes the bill because "terrorist activity" isn't defined and companies may perversely avoid looking for content to avoid breaking the law if they fail to report something.
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