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 Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speak-
er, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the ju-
risdiction 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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Standards for Internet 
Non-Censorship Act of 2010’’ or the ‘‘SINC Act of 2010’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds the following: 
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(1) The Internet has been a tremendous force 
for freedom and economic development worldwide. 
(2) In recent years, Internet freedom has been 
compromised by repressive regimes that use this 
technology to control the free flow of information 
and to limit nonviolent political debate. 
(3) One of the most egregious violations of 
Internet freedom has been the enforcement of arbi-
trary and politically motivated censorship of search 
engines by repressive regimes that often force search 
providers to censor search results domestically and 
globally as a condition of doing business. 
(4) Access to United States Web sites by search 
engines around the world provides billions of dollars 
of market value to the owners of these search en-
gines. 
(5) Search engines under the control of repres-
sive regimes receive the economic benefit of access-
ing United States Web sites and use this access to 
provide an incomplete and distorted view of the 
United States and the world. 
(6) Repressive control and censorship of the 
Internet will continue to be a significant inter-
national issue that requires decisive action from the 
United States and other free countries. 
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(7) The long-term future of the Internet as an 
unfettered source of nonviolent free speech will de-
pend on the worldwide adoption of minimum stand-
ards of non-censorship. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) the President should promptly establish in-
terim minimum standards of non-censorship for 
Internet search providers and create programs to re-
strict access to domestic online information by 
search providers determined to be censoring non-
violent political speech; 
(2) any long-term solution to the problem of the 
censorship of nonviolent political speech on the 
Internet must include minimum standards of non- 
censorship set by a coalition of free countries; and 
(3) the President should begin negotiations with 
free countries to adopt minimum standards for non- 
censorship of nonviolent political speech as a condi-
tion for access to the Internet. 
SEC. 4. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION REGULA-
TION AGAINST CENSORSHIP. 
(a) REGULATIONS AGAINST CENSORSHIP AUTHOR-
IZED.—The Commission may commence a proceeding to 
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adopt regulations to restrict repressive Internet search 
providers from accessing domestic online information. 
(b) WEB SITE.—If the Commission adopts regula-
tions under subsection (a), the Commission shall develop, 
operate, and maintain a public Web site that lists such 
repressive Internet search providers and the reasons for 
finding that such Internet search providers were repres-
sive. 
(c) ENFORCEMENT AUTHORIZED.—The Commission 
may enforce the regulations under subsection (a) using 
any existing enforcement authority to prevent Internet 
search providers and any other person or entity from 
colluding to evade such regulations. 
SEC. 5. DEVELOPMENT OF INTERNATIONAL MINIMUM 
STANDARDS OF NON-CENSORSHIP FOR THE 
INTERNET. 
(a) INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary 
of State, in consultation with the Commission, shall seek 
to enter into agreements with appropriate representatives 
of free countries to adopt minimum standards to prevent 
censorship of nonviolent political speech on the Internet 
as a condition for connection to the Internet. 
(b) RESTRICTION OF THE INTERNET.—Not earlier 
than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Commission may commence a proceeding to adopt regula-
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tions to restrict or prevent foreign countries and other en-
tities that operate outside of any agreements made pursu-
ant to subsection (a) from accessing domestic online infor-
mation. 
SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 
means the Federal Communications Commission. 
(2) FREE COUNTRY.—The term ‘‘free country’’ 
means a foreign country that does not censor non-
violent political speech on the Internet. 
(3) INTERNET.—The term ‘‘Internet’’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 231(e) of the 
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 231(e)). 
(4) DOMESTIC
ONLINE
INFORMATION.—The 
term ‘‘domestic online information’’ means Web 
sites, databases, and other digital information that 
is housed or hosted on computers located in the 
United States or any territory or possession of the 
United States. 
(5) REPRESSIVE
INTERNET
SEARCH
PRO-
VIDER.—The term ‘‘repressive Internet search pro-
vider’’ means an Internet search provider that cen-
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sors search results for the purpose of suppressing 
nonviolent political speech. 
Æ 
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