Egypt's Internet Blackout Cost Economy 90Mil! Congress Looking To Pass Same Bill In United States!! (VIDEO)

On Wednesday, Egypt appeared to be back on the Internet. The country started going dark last Thursday when President Hosni Mubarak's government ordered that all forms of mass communication, including Internet access, mobile networks, and SMS, be blocked. By Friday, even the country's stock exchange was offline.

But on Wednesday, the Internet blackout ended.

"This represents a new Internet milestone,"

said Craig Labovitz, chief scientist at Arbor Networks.

"We have never seen a country as connected as Egypt completely lose Internet connectivity for such an extended period."

He predicted that the blackout would have long-term repercussions for the country.

"Today, the Internet is as an integral part of the Egyptian economy and society. Unlike periods as recent as a decade ago, governments of technically developed countries cannot disrupt telecommunication without incurring significant economic cost and social/political pressures."

It is estimated that the blackout cost Egypt's economy about $90 million, or $18 million per day, comprising 3% to 4% of the country's economic output. Furthermore, the economic damage isn't over yet. According to the organization, Egypt will find it

"much more difficult in the future to attract foreign companies and assure them that the networks will remain reliable."

But can this happen in the United States or anywhere else? The answer is YES.

Congress is considering a bill to expand the President's authority granting power to pull the plug on the internet at will.

The bill in question is the Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act of 2010, a cyber-security measure introduced in June by Sen. Joseph Lieberman. It was an over-arching cyber-security measure that, among other things, would create an office of cyberspace policy within the White House and a new cyber-security center within the Homeland Security Department.

According to data on the web site opencongress.org, several companies and organizations are backing this proposed legislation. Among the corporate names backing the bill, are antivirus giant Symantec (Norton), and cyber security training organization SANS Institute.


If this bill goes through they would basically be able to shut our internet down just like Egypt.

Check out these reports on video below: