The House passed a bill Thursday that would create a system where private organizations can choose to provide national security agencies with cyber threat information in return for liability protection.
Although the measure passed through the House with a 248-168 vote, the White House has already threatened to veto the bill based on concerns on protecting people’s personal information.
Officials argue the bill does not sufficiently guard personal data and worry Internet companies will provide the National Security Agency with unlimited access to data, CNN reports.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), a former FBI agent, said he has spent the last year developing the bill in hopes to prepare the U.S. to handle cyberattacks, according to CNN.
Rogers told the full chamber the U.S. needs to protect itself from nations such as Russia and China who want to gain access to the country’s data and information resources.
Iran and North Korea are of concern to Rogers, who helped draft the Cyber Intelligence Information Sharing and Protection Act.
Bill proponents claim they have addressed concerns in relation to how much information companies will share with the government by adding provisions that limit how the government can use the information.
The bill includes legislative language that suggests information will only be shared when necessary to preserve national security, the CNN report notes.
Rep Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) proposed personal information transfer limitations that the House did not vote on yesterday.
Schiff said people desire security online, but are unaware of how much information unrelated to cyber threats is being collected.
