I 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4504 

To authorize the Federal Communications Commission to issue regulations 

against the censorship of Internet search results, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 26, 2010 

Mr. FOSTER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 

Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To authorize the Federal Communications Commission to 

issue regulations against the censorship of Internet 

search results, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Standards for Internet 

5 Non-Censorship Act of 2010’’ or the ‘‘SINC Act of 2010’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 The Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) The Internet has been a tremendous force 

2 for freedom and economic development worldwide. 

3 (2) In recent years, Internet freedom has been 

4 compromised by repressive regimes that use this 

5 technology to control the free flow of information 

6 and to limit nonviolent political debate. 

7 (3) One of the most egregious violations of 

8 Internet freedom has been the enforcement of arbi9 trary and politically motivated censorship of search 

10 engines by repressive regimes that often force search 

11 providers to censor search results domestically and 

12 globally as a condition of doing business. 

13 (4) Access to United States Web sites by search 

14 engines around the world provides billions of dollars 

15 of market value to the owners of these search en16 gines. 

17 (5) Search engines under the control of repres18 sive regimes receive the economic benefit of access19 ing United States Web sites and use this access to 

20 provide an incomplete and distorted view of the 

21 United States and the world. 

22 (6) Repressive control and censorship of the 

23 Internet will continue to be a significant inter24 national issue that requires decisive action from the 

25 United States and other free countries. 


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1 (7) The long-term future of the Internet as an 

2 unfettered source of nonviolent free speech will de3 pend on the worldwide adoption of minimum stand4 ards of non-censorship. 

5 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

6 It is the sense of Congress that— 

7 (1) the President should promptly establish in8 terim minimum standards of non-censorship for 

9 Internet search providers and create programs to re10 strict access to domestic online information by 

11 search providers determined to be censoring non12 violent political speech; 

13 (2) any long-term solution to the problem of the 

14 censorship of nonviolent political speech on the 

15 Internet must include minimum standards of non16 censorship set by a coalition of free countries; and 

17 (3) the President should begin negotiations with 

18 free countries to adopt minimum standards for non19 censorship of nonviolent political speech as a condi20 tion for access to the Internet. 

21 SEC. 4. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION REGULA22 TION AGAINST CENSORSHIP. 

23 (a) REGULATIONS AGAINST CENSORSHIP AUTHOR24 IZED.—The Commission may commence a proceeding to 


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1 adopt regulations to restrict repressive Internet search 

2 providers from accessing domestic online information. 

3 (b) WEB SITE.—If the Commission adopts regula4 tions under subsection (a), the Commission shall develop, 

5 operate, and maintain a public Web site that lists such 

6 repressive Internet search providers and the reasons for 

7 finding that such Internet search providers were repres8 sive. 

9 (c) ENFORCEMENT AUTHORIZED.—The Commission 

10 may enforce the regulations under subsection (a) using 

11 any existing enforcement authority to prevent Internet 

12 search providers and any other person or entity from 

13 colluding to evade such regulations. 

14 SEC. 5. DEVELOPMENT OF INTERNATIONAL MINIMUM 

15 STANDARDS OF NON-CENSORSHIP FOR THE 

16 INTERNET. 

17 (a) INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary 

18 of State, in consultation with the Commission, shall seek 

19 to enter into agreements with appropriate representatives 

20 of free countries to adopt minimum standards to prevent 

21 censorship of nonviolent political speech on the Internet 

22 as a condition for connection to the Internet. 

23 (b) RESTRICTION OF THE INTERNET.—Not earlier 

24 than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the 

25 Commission may commence a proceeding to adopt regulaVerDate Nov 24 2008 22:23 Jan 27, 2010 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4504.IH H4504

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1 tions to restrict or prevent foreign countries and other en2 tities that operate outside of any agreements made pursu3 ant to subsection (a) from accessing domestic online infor4 mation. 

5 SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS. 

6 In this Act: 

7 (1) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 

8 means the Federal Communications Commission. 

9 (2) FREE COUNTRY.—The term ‘‘free country’’ 

10 means a foreign country that does not censor non11 violent political speech on the Internet. 

12 (3) INTERNET.—The term ‘‘Internet’’ has the 

13 meaning given the term in section 231(e) of the 

14 Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 231(e)). 

15 (4) DOMESTIC ONLINE INFORMATION.—The 

16 term ‘‘domestic online information’’ means Web 

17 sites, databases, and other digital information that 

18 is housed or hosted on computers located in the 

19 United States or any territory or possession of the 

20 United States. 

21 (5) REPRESSIVE INTERNET SEARCH PRO22 VIDER.—The term ‘‘repressive Internet search pro23 vider’’ means an Internet search provider that cenVerDate Nov 24 2008 22:23 Jan 27, 2010 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4504.IH H4504

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1 sors search results for the purpose of suppressing 

2 nonviolent political speech. 

Æ 


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