In a recent Houston Chronicle op-ed, information technology fellow Christopher Bronk explains why two new bills in Congress, aimed at reducing vulnerability in the nation’s cyber infrastructure, are not a viable solution for increasing digital security. According to Bronk, the Preventing Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property (PROTECT IP) Act and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) attempt to enact legislation on digital crime without a complete understanding of how the Internet and computing technology works.
“The powers proposed in SOPA and PROTECT IP do not secure the Internet or protect the overwhelming number of U.S. companies, from tech startups to law firms, with IP concerns,” Bronk explains. “Yes, Congress needs to think about how government and industry must cooperate on protecting IP, but it needs to do so in a manner that accepts technological reality and embraces the innovative, entrepreneurial nature of the Internet ecosystem.”