The House of Representatives passed the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) in April 2013. CISPA would have obliterated our privacy laws and allowed sites like Facebook and Google to disclose our private messages, status updates, photos, searches, likes — even our location — to the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.

But the Senate has declined to vote on the bill and will instead take up its own cybersecurity legislation.

Even without CISPA, government agencies and Internet carriers have infringed on our online privacy in the name of national security. Earlier this year, newly obtained documents revealed that the Defense Department, the Department of Homeland Security and private ISPs — including AT&T and CenturyLink — struck a possibly illegal deal to allow government monitoring of private networks.

The last thing companies need is more protection from liability for violating our privacy. We must ensure that any cybersecurity bill Congress passes avoids a false choice between security and liberty.

Online spying and surveillance have a chilling effect on free speech. They create an environment in which we refrain from posting on Facebook, conducting Web searches, sending emails, writing blog posts or otherwise communicating online for fear that the National Security Agency could come knocking.

Tell your senators to vote "NO" on any cybersecurity bill that threatens our online privacy.