“Misinformation and disinformation are likely to be serious threats during a public health emergency. Unfortunately, thus far, there are limited ways to control the propagation of misinformation, leading to potentially draconian methods to manage this problem.”

No big deal folks, nothing to see here.

The Electronic Privacy Information Center has been fighting tooth and nail to get Homeland Security to release the details of the SOP 303 by the National Communications System. The secret document (that apparently appeared on March 9th 2006) codifies a “shutdown and restoration process for use by commercial and private wireless networks during a national crisis.”

This is the heavily redacted SOP 303 (PDF version) that EPIC received in 2013.

TLDR: It gives the DHS the authority to shut down all ISP providers and all cellphone networks.

SOP 303 is more than that: it is literally the Standard Operating Procedure to shut down the communication state-by-state, step-by-step.

There is no internet kill-switch per se: it takes the collaboration of every state. The internet is decentralized in itself. You have to shut down the ISPs or withdrawing the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) routes. There is an SOP for the POTUS to go by if needed.

Section 606 of the Communication Acts of 1934 can give enough power to the president to shut down every communication on the US soil. All he needs is a "war or threat of war" or "a state of public peril.”

And there goes freedom of speech and the internet.

Don’t be surprised if the internet goes dark one day. If and when this happens… Godspeed.



JP



