US bill would prohibit Internet 'kill switch'

Representatives of the Center for Democracy and Technology and the Computer and Communications Industry Association, two critics of the 2010 cybersecurity bill, weren't immediately available for comment on the new legislation.

Some critics have continued say the 2010 bill had a kill switch provision, with comparisons to Internet shutdowns in Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries in recent weeks, even though the legislation did not authorize presidential power to shut down the entire Internet in the U.S.

The persistent kill-switch criticisms were distracting from a serious debate about cybersecurity measures the U.S. needs, Lieberman said.

"The so-called 'internet kill switch' debate has eclipsed discussion of actual, substantive provisions in this bill that would significantly improve the security of all Americans," he said in a statement.

The new, 221-page bill mirrors parts of the 2010 bill. The new bill would require owners of critical infrastructure to fix cybervulnerabilties and would create a national center focused on preventing and responding to cyberattacks. The bill also would reform the cybersecurity rules for federal agencies, and it would establish a cybersecurity research and development program in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.