The Internet “kill switch” is coming back for consideration in the U.S. Senate. Having first been introduced last summer, the legislation, reintroduced by Sens. Joseph Lieberman (I-Connecticut) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), would give the president the authority to declare “a cybersecurity emergency.”

The Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act does not clearly define what would constitute a cybersecurity emergency or warrant such a dramatic, and potentially costly, move for the nation’s economy. If adopted into law, the Department of Homeland Security would be charged with establishing a list of systems and networks considered critical infrastructure that could be brought down by an order from the White House.

To justify having a kill switch, Lieberman has said: “For all of its ‘user-friendly’ allure, the Internet can also be a dangerous place with electronic pipelines that run directly into everything from our personal bank accounts to key infrastructure to government and industrial secrets.”

-Noel Brinkerhoff