The House has passed a controversial so-called “cyber security” measure in defiance of a veto threat from President Obama. On Thursday, 42 Democrats joined 206 Republicans to approve the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, or CISPA, in a surprise vote. The measure would allow private internet companies like Google, Facebook and Microsoft to hand over troves of confidential customer records and communications to the National Security Agency, FBI and Department of Homeland Security, effectively legalizing a secret domestic surveillance program already run by the NSA. Backers say the measure is needed to help private firms crack down on foreign entities — including the Chinese and Russian governments — committing online economic espionage. But the bill has faced widespread opposition from online privacy advocates and drawn threats of a White House veto. The measure passed after lawmakers approved an amendment that would widely expand the government’s ability to use the information it collects. Speaking to Democracy Now! on Thursday, Michelle Richardson of the American Civil Liberties Union said the bill would severely undermine privacy rights.

Michelle Richardson: “Current law now creates a presumption of privacy in our phone calls, emails and internet records, and they say that companies have to keep them private unless there’s an emergency or the government serves them with a subpoena or warrant. And in one fell swoop, this bill will say that these privacy laws simply no longer apply. So, all of the process afforded under those laws, the protections, the congressional reporting, the role of a judge, all of that is swept away in one bill and will allow companies to decide how much and what type of information they want to turn over to the government.”