Last year, after making it through the gauntlet of SOPA and PIPA, we wondered if we’d have to worry about yet another bit of Internet regulation, CISPA, aka the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act. As it turns out, despite support in the U.S. House of Representatives, we probably don’t have to be concerned about CISPA going anywhere, as the Senate doesn’t appear to be bothered enough to even consider it.

CISPA passed in 2012 in the House but failed to do so in the Senate, and this go around has played out pretty much the same way. The House signed off on the 2013 version of the bill but now sources on various committees have told several media outlets that the Senate doesn’t even feel like taking a peek, according to the Los Angeles Times.

“I think it’s dead for now,” Michelle Richardson, legislative counsel with the ACLU, told U.S. News & World Report. “CISPA is too controversial, it’s too expansive, it’s just not the same sort of program contemplated by the Senate last year. We’re pleased to hear the Senate will probably pick up where it left off last year.”

That’s in line with the mood we’ve experienced this time around with CISPA, as noted in a chat with Ben Parr last week when the bill was resurrected in the House.

On the question of whether or not the government and privacy advocates will ever come to an agreement on how to keep things private but yet protect the government, Parr says that day may come, but  it won’t be anytime soon.

“I always think there’s a balance that can be made between security and privacy. I think we’re close, but not quite there yet,” he told Consumerist. “That’s why I doubt CISPA will become law.”

Even if the Senate had entertained the bill and even passed it, President Obama’s administration had been pretty clear when saying it’d veto the bill if it came down to that. Lawmakers and other opponents had expressed concerns that CISPA could infringe on the privacy of citizens and effectively allow the government to access personal information — like emails and Internet history — and turn it against people.

Senate indicates it won’t consider CISPA [Los Angeles Times]

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