[liberationtech] Congressional Support for Internet Freedom Programs

[Collin Anderson]

It may also be of interested to note language embedded into the new Iranian
sanctions legislation before the House, H.R. 1905 (Iran Threat Reduction
Act of 2011).

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h112-1905

SEC. 205. COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY TO PROMOTE INTERNET FREEDOM AND ACCESS TO
INFORMATION IN IRAN.
(a) In General- Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit to
the Committees on Foreign Affairs and Appropriations of the House of
Representatives and the Committees on Foreign Relations and Appropriations
of the Senate a comprehensive strategy to--

(1) help the people of Iran produce, access, and share information freely
and safely via the Internet, including in Farsi and regional languages;
(2) support the development of counter-censorship technologies that enable
the citizens of Iran to undertake Internet activities without interference
from the Government of Iran;
(3) increase the capabilities and availability of secure mobile
communications among human rights and democracy activists in Iran;
(4) provide resources for digital safety training for media, unions, and
academic and civil society organizations in Iran;
(5) increase the amount of accurate Internet content in local languages in
Iran;
(6) increase emergency resources for the most vulnerable human rights
advocates seeking to organize, share information, and support human rights
in Iran;
(7) expand surrogate radio, television, live stream, and social network
communications inside Iran;
(8) expand activities to safely assist and train human rights, civil
society, and union activists in Iran to operate effectively and securely;
(9) defeat all attempts by the Government of Iran to jam or otherwise deny
international satellite broadcasting signals; and
(10) expand worldwide United States embassy and consulate programming for
and outreach to Iranian dissident communities.

(b) Form- The comprehensive strategies required under subsection (a) shall
be in unclassified form and may include a classified annex.

On Wed, Oct 26, 2011 at 10:18 PM, Collin Anderson <collin at averysmallbird.com
> wrote:

> LibTech -
>
> It may be in everyone's interest to note that, in the midst of
> Congressional scrutiny over foreign aid programs, funding will likely
> continue for Internet Freedom programs in the next fiscal year. From
> POMED's notes (
> http://pomed.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Event-Write-Up-10-18-2011-Arab-Assessment.pdf
> ):
>
> *Department of State Allocations*
>
> Another difference can be found in additional language in the Senate bill
>> to designate funding for Internet freedom programming:
>>
>
>
>  *"[o]f the funds appropriated under the heading "Economic Support Fund",
>> up to *
>
> *$25,000,000 shall be made available to the Bureau of Democracy, Human
>> Rights *
>
> *and Labor for programs to promote human rights by expanding open and *
>
> *uncensored access to information and communication through the Internet,
>> mobile *
>
> *phones, and other connection technologies including digital safety
>> training, policy *
>
> *and advocacy, and the development of circumvention and secure
>> communication *
>
> *technologies, as identified in the Department of State"s Internet
>> freedom *
>
> *strategy."*
>
>
> *BBG Allocations*
>
> For the Broadcasting Board of Governors" International Broadcasting
>> Operations, the House bill allocates $730
>> million for "radio and television broadcasting to the Middle East," and
>> the Senate bill allocates $740 million for
>> the same activity.  The Senate bill includes an additional provision for
>> $2.5 million "to expand unrestricted
>> access to information on the Internet through the development and use of
>> circumvention and secure
>> communication technologies."
>
>
> Best of luck.
>
> Collin
>
> --
> *Collin David Anderson*
> averysmallbird.com | @cda | Washington, D.C.
>
>


-- 
*Collin David Anderson*
averysmallbird.com | @cda | Washington, D.C.
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