Blackout Day: Hacking group Anonymous calls for sites to black out their front pages today (Monday 22 April 2013)

Hacking group Anonymous asked websites to black out their front pages on Monday, in protest against legislation in the U.S. that would allow online companies and government agencies to more easily share personal information.

The protest against the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), meant to start from 6 a.m. GMT, appeared to have little traction early. Anonymous-related accounts called for action on Twitter using the hashtag “#CISPABlackout” and a spattering of minor sites blocked access, including the popular “Funny” category on Reddit.

CISPA is meant to encourage better sharing of information during active cyberattacks. It allows U.S. intelligence agencies to share classified data on cyberthreats with private firms, something that is currently prohibited. It also protects firms that voluntary share cyberthreat information with other firms or the government from privacy lawsuits by users.

Critics say it would allow private companies to share a broad range of customer data with each other and the government. Privacy advocates have also pointed out that it doesn’t require such companies to scrub unnecessary customer information from what is shared. The bill was approved last week in the U.S. House of Representatives, though it must still be passed by the Senate, and advisors to President Barack Obama have promised a veto.

“It’s the online equivalent of allowing a police officer to enter your home and start rummaging through your personal files without the permission of a court,” the message from Anonymous said…

Read the rest of this article from PC World Magazine @ http://goo.gl/sPKZN