President Obama today criticized Sony Pictures for axing the release of The Interview following the hack of its network, arguing that it sets a terrible precedent.
"I think they made a mistake," Obama said during a press conference from Washington, D.C. "I wish they'd spoken to me first. I would've told them [to] not get into a pattern in which you're intimidated by these types of criminal attacks."
"We cannot have a society in which some dictator some place can start imposing censorship here in the U.S.," the president said.
If a country like North Korea can impact the release of a satirical movie, imagine what can be done if they see a documentary or a news report they don't like, Obama said. "Even worse, imagine if producers and distributors and others start engaging in self-censorship because they don't want to offend the sensibilities of somebody whose sensibilities probably need to be offended."
"That's not who we are," Obama continued. "That's not what America is about."
Obama's press conference came after the FBI this morning confirmed that the devastating hack of Sony Pictures was pulled off by the North Korean government. The agency said it found links between the Sony hack and previous hacks that are confirmed to have been pulled off by North Korea.
Obama said today that there is no indication that North Korea worked with another country - like China - on the hack.
The breach, however, highlights the need for stronger cyber security, Obama said. "We're not even close to where we need to be," he said.
As a result, we need legislation that would allow for information sharing between the public and private sector, Obama said. Congress has made efforts to get cyber-security legislation like that passed - most notably CISPA in 2012 - but the issue is very politically charged, and tech firms are concerned that laws on evolving technology could stifle innovation.
We might get some cyber-related fireworks on Capitol Hill in the new year, though. According to CNN, Sen. John McCain, who will be chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee next year, will hold a hearing on the Sony hack.
As for what the U.S. response to the Sony breach will be, Obama has not yet made any decisions. "We just confirmed that it was North Korea," he said. "We have been working up a range of options, they will be presented to me, [and] I will make a decision based on what I think is proportional."
For more, check out the video below and Will the Sony Hack Bring Back the BlackBerry?