A controversial cybersecurity bill that would let private companies, like Facebook, Google and Twitter, share information with the federal government without a warrant is one step closer to becoming a law.
The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday voted to approve the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) with a vote of 288-127, CNET reports.
According to The Hill, the bill passed with more support than last year, with 92 Democrats voting with Republicans. The same bill passed with a vote of 248-168 last year.
Supporters of CISPA say it is not meant to infringe on the privacy of Americans, and argue that the bill is important for national security.
"This is not a surveillance bill," Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), who authored the bill, said during the floor debate. "It does not allow the national security agencies or the Department of Defense or our military organizations to monitor our domestic networks."
Opponents of the bill say it is a threat to the privacy of Internet users. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) says CISPA is problematic because it does not require private sector firms to remove personal information before sharing it with the government, CNET reports.
Privacy advocates have already begun to mobilize against CISPA. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) argues that the bill is poorly drafted and poses a threat to civil liberties, and has asked its supporters to call their Representatives.
