9,798 votes
ensure our privacy and repeal the patriot act.
The patriot act had many sub-ordinate clauses that strip away our privacy as American citizens. These were shoehorned in as an effort to protect us, while they in fact strip us of certain rights to privacy as citizens. Lets protect our nation while ensuring confidence and privacy to our citizens.
M.C. Lee
It's a sad commentary on our society when we are loathe to contact our family, friends, and colleagues in our own country without an ever present fear of reprisal. Wasn't this covered in the first amendment? Has IT been repealed?
13 days ago
Old Engineer
This act has been the bain of many businesses. It needs to be repealed or massively revised.
19 days ago
kbert5
I'm more interested in protecting our infrastructure and economy from cyber attacks than I am in my own privacy. I believe that some of those who would destroy our culture are not only highly motivated but intelligent, well financed,and educated jihadists. True Believers are dangerous adversaries. How about those suicide bombers?
28 days ago
Ametrica
I don't even think the Patriot Act ever became law even though George Bush may have acted as if it did. So how can it be repealed? Either way you look at it, the Patriot Act would not fall under the jurisdiction of the CTO. Those who voted for here wasted their vote.
29 days ago
BillPotts
I just don't understand why so many people have voted for this one.
Of course, as John Ashcroft's wet dream come true, it should be repealed. However, as several people have pointed out, a Chief Technology Officer is responsible for making things happen in the science and technology fields and, in any case, has no legislative power.
about 1 month ago
llundber
Agree with wdwhiteh. How has the Patriot Act affected any of you directly? Name the ways that it has personally affected you. Detailed examples. Hard to name, I bet.
about 1 month ago
winky
The USA once led the world in enacting privacy law. In the last 2 decades, however, technology has radically changed the implications of privacy, but our law has never been updated. I think it would be appropriate for a CTO to work on modernizing American privacy law so it is relevant to current technology.
about 1 month ago
jps
This certainly is an issue deserving technical attention, because like almost all omnibus (multi-topic) legislation, there are some parts that need to be repealed, and some parts that need to be fixed. For example, moving privacy-busting powers from the FBI to the IRS will allow IRS auditors to focus on better audits, internationally, e.g. http://www.taxjustice.net/cms/front_content.php?idcat=2
about 1 month ago
pmocek
This is vitally important, but it is not seem to be in the area of responsibility of a CTOOTUS.
about 1 month ago
wdwhiteh
oppose*
about 1 month ago
wdwhiteh
The Partiot Act does not allow “everybody” to know your personal business so that example is bogus. If that were the case then I would vehemently appose it. I would expect the gov’t to only allow mature responsible officials (hopefully) to review the information that is gathered. Furthermore, most of the processing, since there is so much information, is probably done by a computer.
about 1 month ago
John.Argent
I am just a redneck but I dont think wdwhiteh understands the extreme dislike alot of people have for the patriot act. Its not what are you hiding but none of your business. Do you want to live in a glass house and have everybody know your business, your personal problems and thoughts. Like the pillow talk between US soldiers and their wives in the name of national security. what do the feds hide?
about 1 month ago
howardroark
This one is way more important than web accessability and neutrality.
about 1 month ago
jlindsey
This does not appear to be a valid task for the CTO to take on. Prehaps a more appropriate suggestion would be to ensure privacy on the internet or over networks.
about 1 month ago
jps
jmkowalski: The CTO can certainly say, "Hey Boss, read this please and if you approve please send it over to Harry and Nancy"
about 1 month ago
josephsack
Wouldn't this issue be something for congress to legislate? While I agree with repealing the patriot act, it seems out of the scope of what the executive branch could implement.
about 1 month ago
jmkowalski
The CTO can't do a thing here...
Chief Technology Officer... think computers, think internet, think infrastructure, but not legislation...
Lots of wasted votes here.
about 1 month ago
wdwhiteh
Does the Patriot Act really affect most Americans? If you are not doing anything wrong you should not have to worry, right? The only reason I see to get rid of it is pointed out by citizenkahn ("It made us less safe by flooding the intelligence services with useless information") I understand that there is some paranoia about a Big Brother government, but I don't think this act amounts to that.
about 1 month ago
GabeMiami
While you're at it, hold telcos like AT&T responsible by RE-doing the ruling that penalizes them retroactively, AND the removal of this equipment should be made VERY PUBLIC in front of the media and a LARGE GROUP of applauding people in order for Americans to feel like their privacy and dignity is (somewhat) restored. Start with San Francisco where you'll get a huge turnout.
about 1 month ago
BigBrother1984
So what exactly are YOU trying to hide?
about 1 month ago
denb
PATRIOT Act, passed by Congress, is out of CTO's reach. While this law is a highly contested issue, it is definitely not in the jurisdiction of the White House.
about 1 month ago
jord
I sincerely hope there will never be any sort of legislation like the USA PATRIOT ACT ever again in my lifetime. This makes a mockery of our Constitution.
about 1 month ago
psikeyhackr
Eliminate this unconstitutional trash.
about 1 month ago
WOW
If it doesn't get repealed it needs to be closely looked at and stripped of unnecessary elements.
about 1 month ago
WOW
If it doesn't get repealed it needs to be closely looked at and stripped of unnecessary elements.
about 1 month ago
seanrowens
Good start (I gave it 3 points!) but this proposal needs to be expanded to include Patriot I _and_ Patriot II _AND_ the Military Comissions ACt of 2006 ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_Commissions_Act_of_2006 )
about 1 month ago
jps
This needs to be balanced with privacy-busting IRS subpoena power against tax shelters including in the Caribbean and Switzerland, non-income assets, and moving the focus of IRS audits back where they will make the most money for the U.S., instead of so many little-guy audits, which are a disgrace.
about 1 month ago
citizenkahn
It made us less safe by flooding the intelligence services with useless information about what i'm googling. If the hay stack is bigger, the needle is harder to find. Lack of data and FISA didn't cause 9/11, incompetence did.
We all know that the terrorists are just a group of motivated thugs, not super criminals. We can stop them better without the Partiot Act.
about 1 month ago
andreyf
While I don't agree with the Patriot Act, Obama's "CTO" will not (and should not) have any power to repeal it. That's just not how our government works.
about 1 month ago