I 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4784 

To establish the Internet Freedom Foundation, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 9, 2010 

Mr. WU introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Science and Technology 

A BILL 

To establish the Internet Freedom Foundation, 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 ‘‘Internet Freedom Act 

5 of 2010’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 The Congress makes the following findings: 

8 (1) Freedom of conscience, freedom of speech, 

9 freedom of the press, and freedom of association are 

10 fundamental human rights. 


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1 (2) Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of 

2 Human Rights declares ‘‘Everyone has the right to 

3 freedom of opinion and expression; this right in4 cludes freedom to hold opinions without interference 

5 and to seek, receive and impart information and 

6 ideas through any media and regardless of fron7 tiers.’’. 

8 (3) The Internet is a transformative force and 

9 stands to become the most powerful engine for cit10 izen empowerment, transparency, and the free ex11 change of ideas ever invented. 

12 (4) Any government, or government sanctioned, 

13 supported, authorized, or endorsed entity, either ex14 plicitly or implicitly, that blocks, restricts, controls, 

15 or monitors any person’s use of the Internet effec16 tively transforms the Internet into a tool of censor17 ship and surveillance, in contravention of the Uni18 versal Declaration of Human Rights and the Inter19 national Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. 

20 SEC. 3. INTERNET FREEDOM FOUNDATION. 

21 (a) ESTABLISHMENT OF THE INTERNET FREEDOM

22 FOUNDATION.—The National Science Foundation shall 

23 establish the Internet Freedom Foundation. The Internet 

24 Freedom Foundation shall— 


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1 (1) award competitive, merit-reviewed grants, 

2 cooperative agreements, or contracts to private in3 dustry, universities, and other research and develop4 ment organizations to develop deployable tech5 nologies to defeat Internet suppression and censor6 ship; and 

7 (2) award incentive prizes to private industry, 

8 universities, and other research and development or9 ganizations that successfully develop deployable tech10 nologies to defeat Internet suppression and censor11 ship. 

12 (b) LIMITATION ON AUTHORITY.—Nothing in this 

13 Act shall be interpreted to authorize any action by the 

14 United States to interfere with foreign national censorship 

15 in furtherance of law enforcement aims that are consistent 

16 with the International Covenant on Civil and Political 

17 Rights. 

18 SEC. 4. DEFINITION. 

19 The term ‘‘Internet suppression’’ means censoring, 

20 blocking, monitoring, or restricting access to the Internet, 

21 or to content made available via the Internet, by using 

22 technologies such as firewalls, filters, and ‘‘black boxes’’. 

23 SEC. 5. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

24 It is the sense of the Congress that the United States 

25 should— 


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1 (1) publicly, prominently, and consistently de2 nounce governments and private entities that re3 strict, censor, ban, and block access to information 

4 on the Internet; and 

5 (2) support the deployment, at the earliest 

6 practicable date, of technologies aimed at defeating 

7 state-directed and state-sponsored Internet suppres8 sion and the persecution by governments and private 

9 entities of those individuals who use the Internet. 

10 SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

11 There are authorized to be appropriated to the Inter12 net Freedom Foundation such sums as may be necessary 

13 to carry out this Act. 

Æ 


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