Internet Freedom and Operations (INFO) Act of 2022
Bill: S.3764 | Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert (D-NJ)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Internet Freedom and Operations (INFO) Act of 2022
This bill authorizes certain Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development, and U.S. Agency for Global Media activities to promote internet freedom and support technologies for circumventing foreign government restrictions on internet access.

To authorize United States Government efforts to promote and protect 
internet freedom in countries where the freedom of information is under 
                                threat.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Internet Freedom and Operations 
(INFO) Act of 2022''.

SEC. 2. 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.

SEC. 3. INTERNET FREEDOM.

    (a) Statement of Policy.--It is the policy of the United States to 
continue to preserve and expand the internet as an open, global space 
for freedom of expression and association.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated for fiscal year 2023--
            (1) $75,000,000 to the Department of State and the United 
        States Agency for International Development (referred to in 
        this Act as ``USAID'') to continue efforts to promote internet 
        freedom, including through the Bureau of Democracy, Human 
        Rights, and Labor's Internet Freedom program; and
            (2) $49,000,000 to the United States Agency for Global 
        Media (referred to in this Act as ``USAGM'') and grantees for 
        internet freedom and circumvention technologies.
    (c) Other Funding Sources.--In addition to the amounts appropriated 
pursuant to subsection (b), the efforts of the Department of State and 
USAID to promote internet freedom may be funded through--
            (1) the Economic Support Fund authorized under section 531 
        of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2346);
            (2) the Development Assistance Fund authorized under 
        section 653(a) of such Act (22 U.S.C. 2413(a));
            (3) amounts appropriated under the heading ``Assistance for 
        Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia'' in an appropriations Act; 
        and
            (4) amounts appropriated for USAGM.

SEC. 4. CIRCUMVENTION TECHNOLOGY.

    (a) Defined Term.--In this section, the term ``internet censorship 
circumvention tool'' means a software application or other tool that an 
individual can use to evade foreign government restrictions on internet 
access.
    (b) Authorization of Funding.--
            (1) In general.--If the government of a foreign country 
        restricts or closes off internet access to the residents of 
        such country, or access to certain websites, the Secretary of 
        State shall make available $2,500,000 from the Economic Support 
        Fund on an expedited basis to vetted entities already engaged 
        in internet freedom programs in such country if the Secretary 
        determines that such use of funds is in the national interest.
            (2) Criteria.--Amounts may be made available under 
        paragraph (1) within 7 days if--
                    (A) the Secretary of State notifies the Committee 
                on Foreign Relations of the Senate, the Committee on 
                Appropriations of the Senate, the Committee on Foreign 
                Affairs of the House of Representatives, and the 
                Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
                Representatives of such planned expenditure; and
                    (B) such amounts are expended to provide bandwidth 
                for private United States companies that received 
                Federal funding during fiscal year 2021 to provide 
                unrestricted internet access overseas.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 60 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 Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives. Such report shall 
describe--
            (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 of State circumvention 
                        efforts; and
                            (ii) USAID efforts to support internet 
                        infrastructure;
                    (B) the capacity of internet censorship 
                circumvention tools supported by the United States 
                Government 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) any new resources needed to provide the United States 
        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.
    (d) Report.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the USAGM Chief Executive Officer shall submit a report to 
the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives that describes--
            (1) as of the date of the report--
                    (A) the full scope of Internet Freedom programs 
                within 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 clause (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.
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