Access Express | 04/18/13
CISPA passes House despite Obama veto threat
The House of Representatives passed the privacy-invading Cybersecurity Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) by a vote of 288 - 127. The bill must still pass the Senate, and overcome a veto threat from Obama, before it becomes law.
via accessnow 
Staff Picks
Firefox considers invalidating TeliaSonera SSL certificates over claims of government spying
Mozilla may snub telecom giant's new SSL certs Firefox-maker Mozilla could issue a "death sentence" to TeliaSonera's SSL business over allegations the telecoms giant sold Orwellian surveillance tech to dictators.
via theregister
The psychological strains of digital activism
Cameron Ashraf, a co-founder of Access, writes about the psychological strains of 24/7 digital activism during Iran's Green Revolution, and how being connected to something you are geographically disconnected from is deeply disturbing to your psyche.
via globalvoicesonline
From the Access Community
Greek government pulls shutters on Athens opposition website
Leading Greek alternative news site, Athens Indymedia, announced it was taken offline, along with two radio stations, following pressure from a Greek prosecutor.
via globalvoicesonline
Pakistan caretaker government says YouTube ban will stay for now
Despite the caretaker administration’s willingness to allow YouTube access back in Pakistan, the government was firm in its stance on keeping the ban until the video-sharing website removed a controversial blasphemous video.
via tribune
Proposed U.S. internet governance bill sparks controversy
A flawed U.S. “Internet Governance" bill that would make it the “policy of the United States to preserve and advance the successful multistakeholder model that governs the Internet" has sparked controversy as it moves to a vote.
via accessnow
Over 80 European organisations demand protection for net neutrality
More than 80 European consumer and digital rights organisations wrote to the European Commission demanding the end of dangerous experimentation with the functioning of the Internet in Europe and the protection of the principles of openness and neutrality.
via edri
Human rights group sues British government over export of spy technology
Privacy International argues that the export of surveillance technology to Bahrain may have broken British law and has been lobbying for an official investigation into the company’s activities.
via washingtonpost
How Anonymous became digital culture's protest heroes
In 2007, the hacktivist collective Anonymous was dubbed the "internet hate machine" by Fox News for their trolling campaigns. Six years later, they are the white knights of the digital realm.
via businessinsider
U.S. FBI wants $41 million for cyber monitoring
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations has requested more than $41 million to improve the bureau’s ability to collect and analyze cyber information and address “critical gaps” in its monitoring capability.
via huffingtonpost
Commodifying the internet: how the web is increasingly privatized
In his review of "Digital Disconnect: How Capitalism is Turning the Internet Against Democracy," James Orbeson examines how to democratizing the Web in the face of growing corporate control.
via jacobinmag
How the US government can shut down cell phone service
Mother Jones exames Standard Operating Procedure 303, a secret agreement between telecommunications giants and the government that outlines "a shutdown and restoration process for use by commercial and private wireless networks during national crises."
via motherjones