A lobbying effort is underway to block the re-election of Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) for internet policies that at least one digital rights activists has called "idiotic," according to The Hill.
Various voices from the tech industry are calling for an "all-out frontal assault" to defeat the bid from Burr, chairman of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, who has come under criticism from the tech industry for an encryption proposal he co-sponsored with Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), which would require companies to provide “technical assistance” to investigators from the government seeking locked data. The committee he leads oversees budget for the federal government's intelligence agencies, including the FBI, NSA and CIA.
Many individuals from the tech community are warning that the bill – intended to thwart cybercriminals using encryption to disguise their moves – could both undermine security and challenge individuals' privacy rights.
