Obama's New Cybersecurity Order May Target US Cyber Activists, Journalists

President Barack Obama’s latest executive order, which grants the United States broad authority to target suspected cybercriminals overseas, has some wondering whether the White House will use the order to target journalists and activists.
In the wake of high-profile hacks of Sony Pictures, US Central Command and JPMorgan Chase, among other victims, Obama called the threat of cyberattacks a “national emergency.”

US Imposes Sanctions on Individuals Accused of Cybercrime - White House
The new order allows the US government to levy economic sanctions against individuals overseas who engage in cyberattacks that damage the “national security, foreign policy, economic health or financial stability of the United States,” according to the president’s announcement.
In addition to those perpetrating the attacks, the order also allows the government to apply sanctions against individuals and entities who knowingly use and receive the data stolen, which draws concerns about foreign news outlets interested in publishing sensitive US material.
The ability to target foreign news agencies if they publish material the US government considers damaging to national security could be considered a form of censorship. (Cihan/Ria Novosti)