INFO Act of 2022

To promote global internet freedom. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Internet Freedom and Operations Act of 2022 INFO Act of 2022 2. Global internet freedom (a) Findings Congress finds the following: (1) More than 3,000,000,000 people use the internet around the world every day to access information. (2) Authoritarian and repressive governments routinely use internet access as a means of suppressing information sharing and communications between people, civil society organizations, and journalists. (3) Following the arrest and subsequent murder of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, while in the custody of Iran’s “morality police”, the government imposed severe internet and mobile network restrictions, in an attempt to isolate and intimidate its people. (4) Under the cover of such internet blackouts, the Iranian Government has intensified a brutal crackdown on peaceful protestors, killing hundreds and arresting thousands more. (5) Following its illegal invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Government has sought to restrict access to independent reporting and eliminate free speech by forcing the closure of independent press outlets and banning social media websites. (6) Under this expanding policy of state censorship and surveillance, the Russian Government has blocked over 3,300 websites, including both social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, as well as the BBC, Associated Press, and other international news outlets. (7) This authoritarian abuse of technology has dramatically reduced access to independent information and has increased the Kremlin’s control over the daily lives of the Russian people through secret monitoring systems designed to unmask and surveil government critics and democracy activists. (8) The United States has a commitment to promote and uphold a free and open internet globally. (9) The demand for internet freedom software, tools, and technology has increased exponentially in recent years as authoritarian regimes have pursued policies of censorship and surveillance. (b) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) the United States should provide direct assistance to technology and communications entities engaged in internet freedom programs in countries restricting internet access and repressing democratic and civil society; and (2) the United States should help grow the capacity of these entities to respond rapidly to censorship events by supporting the development, licensing, and launch of platforms that enable direct internet access and circumvent authoritarian governments’ restrictions. (c) Statement of policy It is the policy of the United States to promote internet freedom through programs of the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development (referred to in this section as USAID (1) whose governments restrict freedom of expression on the internet; and (2) that are important to the national interest of the United States. (d) Purpose and coordination with other programs Global internet freedom programming under this section— (1) shall be coordinated with other United States foreign assistance programs that promote democracy and support the efforts of civil society— (A) to counter the development of repressive internet-related laws and regulations, including countering threats to internet freedom at international organizations; (B) to combat violence against bloggers and other civil society activists who utilize the internet; and (C) to enhance digital security training and capacity building for democracy activists; (2) shall seek to assist efforts— (A) to research key threats to internet freedom; (B) to continue the development of technologies that provide or enhance access to the internet, including circumvention tools that bypass internet blocking, filtering, and other censorship techniques used by authoritarian governments; and (C) to maintain the technological advantage of the Federal Government over the censorship techniques described in subparagraph (B); and (3) shall be incorporated into country assistance and democracy promotion strategies, as appropriate. (e) Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2023— (1) $75,000,000 to the Department of State and USAID, which shall be used to continue efforts to promote internet freedom globally, and shall be matched, to the maximum extent practicable, by sources other than the Federal Government, including the private sector; and (2) $49,000,000 to the United States Agency for Global Media (referred to in this section as the USAGM (A) for open-source tools and techniques to securely develop and distribute digital content produced by the USAGM and its grantees; (B) to facilitate audience access to such digital content on websites that are censored; (C) to coordinate the distribution of such digital content to targeted regional audiences; and (D) to promote and distribute such tools and techniques, including digital security techniques. (f) United states agency for global media activities (1) Annual certification For any new tools or techniques authorized under subsection (d)(2), the Chief Executive Officer of the USGAM, in consultation with the President of the Open Technology Fund (referred to in this subsection as the OTF (A) have evaluated the risks and benefits of such new tools or techniques; and (B) have established safeguards to minimize the use of such new tools or techniques for illicit purposes. (2) Information sharing The Secretary of State may not direct programs or policy of the USAGM or the OTF, but may share any research and development with relevant Federal departments and agencies for the exclusive purposes of— (A) sharing information, technologies, and best practices; and (B) assessing the effectiveness of such technologies. (3) United states agency for global media The Chief Executive Officer of the USAGM, in consultation with the President of the OTF, shall— (A) coordinate international broadcasting programs and incorporate such programs into country broadcasting strategies, as appropriate; (B) solicit project proposals through an open, transparent, and competitive application process, including by seeking input from technical and subject matter experts; and (C) support internet circumvention tools and techniques for audiences in countries that are strategic priorities for the OTF, in accordance with USAGM’s annual language service prioritization review. (g) Usagm report Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Chief Executive Office of the USAGM shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees that describes— (1) as of the date of the report— (A) the full scope of internet freedom programs within the USAGM, including— (i) the efforts of the Office of Internet Freedom; and (ii) the efforts of the Open Technology Fund; (B) the capacity of internet censorship circumvention tools supported by the Office of Internet Freedom and grantees of the Open Technology Fund that are available for use by individuals in foreign countries seeking to counteract censors; and (C) any barriers to the provision of the efforts described in clauses (i) and (ii) of subparagraph (A), including access to surge funding; and (2) successful examples from the Office of Internet Freedom and Open Technology Fund involving— (A) responding rapidly to internet shutdowns in closed societies; and (B) ensuring uninterrupted circumvention services for USAGM entities to promote internet freedom within repressive regimes. (h) Joint report Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State and the Administrator of USAID shall jointly submit a report, which may include a classified annex, to the appropriate congressional committees that describes— (1) as of the date of the report— (A) the full scope of internet freedom programs within the Department of State and USAID, including— (i) Department circumvention efforts; and (ii) USAID efforts to support internet infrastructure; (B) the capacity of internet censorship circumvention tools supported by the Federal Government that are available for use by individuals in foreign countries seeking to counteract censors; and (C) any barriers to provision of the efforts enumerated in clauses (i) and (ii) of subsection (g)(1)(A), including access to surge funding; and (2) any new resources needed to provide the Federal Government with greater capacity to provide and boost internet access— (A) to respond rapidly to internet shutdowns in closed societies; and (B) to provide internet connectivity to foreign locations where the provision of additional internet access service would promote freedom from repressive regimes. (i) Security audits Before providing any support for open source technologies under this section, such technologies must undergo comprehensive security audits to ensure that such technologies are secure and have not been compromised in a manner that is detrimental to the interest of the United States or to the interests of individuals and organizations benefitting from programs supported by such funding. (j) Surge (1) Authorization of appropriations Subject to paragraph (2), there is authorized to be appropriated, in addition to amounts otherwise made available for such purposes, $2,500,000 to support internet freedom programs in closed societies, including programs that— (A) are carried out in crisis situations by vetted entities that are already engaged in internet freedom programs; (B) involve circumvention tools; or (C) increase the overseas bandwidth for companies that received Federal funding during the previous fiscal year. (2) Certification Amounts authorized to be appropriated pursuant to paragraph (1) may not be expended until the Secretary of State has certified to the appropriate congressional committees, the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives that the use of such funds is in the national interest of the United States. (k) Definitions In this section— (1) the term appropriate congressional committees (2) the term internet censorship circumvention tool (3) the term “vetted entity” means a private company or organization that has an established contractual relationship or is in the process of becoming a new vendor for internet freedom programs of USAGM.

Summary: Internet Freedom and Operations Act of 2022 or INFO Act of 2022 This bill directs the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development to continue efforts to secure internet freedom globally. The bill also directs the U.S. Agency for Global Media to obtain open-source tools and techniques to securely distribute digital content, as well as to facilitate audience access to websites censored by foreign governments.