IV 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 57 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United Nations 
and other international governmental organizations shall not be allowed 
to exercise control over the Internet. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 26, 2011 
Mrs. BONO MACK submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 
the United Nations and other international governmental 
organizations shall not be allowed to exercise control 
over the Internet. 
Whereas market-based policies and private sector leadership 
have allowed the Internet the flexibility to evolve; 
Whereas given the importance of the Internet to the global 
economy, it is essential that the underlying technical in-
frastructure of the Internet remain stable and secure; 
Whereas the developing world deserves the access to knowl-
edge, services, commerce, and communication, the accom-
panying benefits to economic development, education, 
health care, and the informed discussion that is the bed-
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•HRES 57 IH 
rock of democratic self-government that the Internet pro-
vides; 
Whereas the explosive and hugely beneficial growth of the 
Internet did not result from increased government in-
volvement but from the opening of the Internet to com-
merce and private sector innovation; 
Whereas some nations that advocate radical change in the 
structure of Internet governance censor the information 
available to their citizens through the Internet and use 
the Internet as a tool of surveillance to curtail legitimate 
political discussion and dissent, and other nations operate 
telecommunications systems as state-controlled monopo-
lies or highly regulated and highly taxed entities; 
Whereas some nations in support of transferring Internet 
governance to an entity affiliated with the United Na-
tions, or another international governmental entity, might 
seek to have such an entity endorse national policies that 
block access to information, stifle political dissent, and 
maintain outmoded communications structures; and 
Whereas the structure and control of Internet governance has 
profound implications for homeland security, competition 
and trade, democratization, free expression, access to in-
formation, privacy, and the protection of intellectual 
property, and the threat of some nations to take unilat-
eral actions that would fracture the root zone file would 
result in a less functional Internet with diminished bene-
fits for all people: Now, therefore be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) calls on the President to continue to oppose 
any effort to transfer control of the Internet to the 
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•HRES 57 IH 
United Nations or any other international govern-
mental entity; and 
(2) calls on the President to— 
(A) recognize the need for, and pursue a 
continuing and constructive dialogue with the 
international community on, the future of Inter-
net governance; and 
(B) advance the values of a free Internet 
in the broader trade and diplomatic conversa-
tions of the United States. 
Æ 
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