Efforts to censor the Internet through bills - SOPA and PIPA (previously discussed here) – may not have succeeded, but another round of debate may just soon erupt with a new cyber-security bill introduced by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. 

Reid’s push is seen by some as an effort by Democrats to broadly expand the authority of executive branch agencies over the Internet just as SOPA and PIPA were seen as efforts to expand the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice.  While SOPA and PIPA were attempts to improve the ability of the DOJ to combat copyright infringement on foreign sites, the new bill will attempt to increase regulation of cyber-security matters over civilian networks.

Increasing the regulatory authority of the Department of Homeland Security may also be on the horizon with a recent bill in the House – the Promoting and Enhancing Cyber-security and Information Sharing Effectiveness Act of 2011 or PrECISE Act. The goal of the bill is to aid DHS in fighting cyber-attacks.

The Daily Caller notes that “reasons for the rush may include Democrats’ desire to pass cyber-security legislation before November elections”, and appears to be “another attempt by the Democrats to expand the power of the federal government over the Internet in less than two years. Past efforts include the House Stop Online Piracy Act, and the Protect IP Act in the Senate, and the Federal Communications Commission’s so-called 'net neutrality' regulation.”