[liberationtech] Internet/IB Mandates in the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012

[Collin Anderson]

Libtech,

Foreign Policy released a copy of the compromise version of the
upcoming Johnson/Ros-Lehtinen sanctions bill; expected to be legislatively
passed in the next week. In true Congressional form, quite a portion of the
mandates involve 'Internet Freedom' agenda items -- namely export
regulation on sensitive technology, expanding content availability,
International Broadcasting, and satellite jamming.
*
*
*This is important.* The State and Treasury Department will be tasked with
addressing issues of 'dual use technologies' and digital security. While I
appreciate the addition of §414(7)(B) for clarifying sanctions regulations,
Congress has a part to play in ensuring clarity on the political boundaries
of such exports.

[PDF]
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/files/fp_uploaded_documents/120730_MRW12361.pdf

*(Introduction)*

It is the sense of Congress that the goal of compelling Iran to abandon
> efforts to acquire a nuclear weapons capability and other threatening
> activities can be effectively achieved through a comprehensive policy
> ... [a]mong the economic measures to be taken are—
>
(4) a focus on countering Iran’s efforts to evade sanctions, including—

(A) the activities of telecommunications, Internet, and satellite service
> providers, in and outside of Iran, to ensure that such providers are not
> participating in or facilitating, directly or indirectly, the evasion of
> the sanctions regime with respect to Iran or violations of the human rights
> of the people of Iran;


*SEC. 412. CLARIFICATION OF SENSITIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR PURPOSES OF
PROCUREMENT BAN UNDER COMPREHENSIVE IRAN SANCTIONS, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND
DIVESTMENT ACT OF 2010. *


> The Secretary of State shall—


(1) not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act,
> issue guidelines to further describe the technologies that may be
> considered ‘‘sensitive technology’’ for purposes of section 106 of the
> Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010
> (22 U.S.C. 8515), with special attention to new forms of sophisticated
> jamming, monitoring, and surveillance technology relating to mobile
> telecommunications and the Internet, and publish those guidelines in the
> Federal Register;

(2) determine the types of technologies that enable any indigenous
> capabilities that Iran has to disrupt and monitor information and
> communications in that country, and consider adding descriptions of those
> items to the guidelines; and

(3) periodically review, but in no case less than once each year, the
> guidelines and, if necessary, amend the guidelines on the basis of
> technological developments and new information regarding transfers of
> technologies to Iran and the development of Iran’s indigenous capabilities
> to disrupt and monitor information and communications in Iran.


*SEC. 414. COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY TO PROMOTE INTERNET FREEDOM AND ACCESS TO
INFORMATION IN IRAN. *

Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
> Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury and
> the heads of other Federal agencies, as appropriate, shall submit to the
> appropriate congressional committees a comprehensive strategy to—

 (1) assist the people of Iran to 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 and other
> communications through connective technology among human rights and
> democracy activists in Iran;

 (4) provide resources for digital safety training for media and academic
> and civil society organizations in Iran;

(5) provide accurate and substantive 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, including—

 (A) by expanding Voice of America’s Persian News Network and Radio Free
> Europe/Radio Liberty’s Radio Farda to provide hourly live news update
> programming and breaking news coverage capability 24 hours a day and 7 days
> a week; and

 (B) by assisting telecommunications and software companies that are United
> States persons to comply with the export licensing requirements of the
> United States for the purpose of expanding such communications inside Iran;

 (8) expand activities to safely assist and train human rights, civil
> society, and democracy activists in Iran to operate effectively and
> securely;

(9) identify and utilize all available resources to overcome attempts by
> the Government of Iran to jam or otherwise deny international satellite
> broadcasting signals;

 (10) expand worldwide United States embassy and consulate programming for
> and outreach to Iranian dissident communities;

(11) expand access to proxy servers for democacy activists in Iran; and

 (12) discourage telecommunications and software companies from
> facilitating Internet censorship by the Government of Iran.


Cordially,
Collin

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