Global Online Freedom Act of 2007

Bill: 110-hr-275
Sponsor: Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4]
Introduced: 2007-01-05 in the House
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Africa (Sub-Saharan)
Armed Forces and National Security
Arms sales
Belarus
Business ethics
Censorship
Central Asia
China
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Civil actions and liability
Commerce
Computers
Congress
Congress and foreign policy
Congressional oversight
Congressional reporting requirements
Corporate accountability
Corporation directors
Crime and Law Enforcement
Cuba
Damages
Democracy
Department of State
East Asia
Economic assistance
Electronic mail systems
Ethiopia
Executive reorganization
Export controls
Fines (Penalties)
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Freedom of information
Freedom of speech
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Human rights
Information services
Interactive media
International broadcasting
Internet
Iran
Laos
Law
Liability (Law)
Middle East and North Africa
Military assistance
Negotiations
Opposition (Political science)
Political persecution
President and foreign policy
Punitive damages
Religion
Religious liberty
Right of privacy
Science, Technology, Communications
Standards
Stockholders
Technological innovations
Telecommunication industry
Tunisia
Vietnam
Web sites

Summary:
action_date: 2007-01-05
text: 
Global Online Freedom Act of 2007 - Declares that it is U.S. policy to: (1) promote the freedom to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media; (2) use all appropriate instruments of U.S. influence to support the free flow of information; and (3) deter U.S. businesses from cooperating with Internet-restricting countries in effecting online censorship.
 
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the President should seek international agreements to protect Internet freedom; and (2) some U.S. businesses, in assisting foreign governments to restrict online access to U.S.-supported websites and government reports, are working contrary to U.S. foreign policy interests.
 
Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to require assessments of electronic information freedom in each foreign country.
 
Establishes in the Department of State the Office of Global Internet Freedom (OGIF).
 
Directs the President to annually designate Internet-restricting countries. Prohibits U.S. businesses from locating, within such countries, any electronic communication that contains any personally identifiable information. 
 
Prohibits U.S. businesses that collect or obtain personally identifiable information through the Internet from providing that information to Internet-restricting countries, except for legitimate foreign law enforcement purposes.
 
 Requires U.S. businesses to report certain Internet censorship information involving Internet-restricting countries to the OGIF.
 
 Prohibits U.S. businesses that maintain Internet content hosting services from jamming of U.S.-supported websites or U.S.-supported content in Internet-restricting countries.
 
Requires a feasibility study regarding the development of controls on exporting items facilitating Internet freedom reductions to Internet-restricting countries.

action_date: 2007-12-10
text: 
Global Online Freedom Act of 2007 - (Sec. 3) Defines, for this Act, &quot;United States business&quot; to mean: (1) a company with its principal place of business in the United States or that is organized under the U.S. or state laws; (2) any issuer of a security registered under specified provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and (3) any foreign subsidiary of such entities to the extent such entity controls the voting shares or other equities of the foreign subsidiary or authorizes, directs, controls, or participates in acts carried out by the foreign subsidiary that are prohibited by this Act.
 
 
Title I: Promotion of Global Internet Freedom - 
(Sec. 101) Declares that it is U.S. policy to: (1) promote the right to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media; (2) use all appropriate instruments of U.S. influence to support the free flow of information; and (3) deter U.S. businesses from cooperating with Internet-restricting countries in effecting online censorship.
 
(Sec. 102) Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the President should seek international agreements to protect Internet freedom; and (2) some U.S. businesses, in assisting foreign governments to restrict online access to U.S.-supported websites and government reports or to identify individual Internet users, are working contrary to U.S. foreign policy interests.
 
(Sec. 103) Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to require annual assessments of electronic information freedom in each foreign country.
 
(Sec. 104) Establishes in the Department of State the Office of Global Internet Freedom (OGIF) to perform various duties, including serving as the focal point for interagency efforts to protect and promote freedom of electronic information abroad and developing and ensuring the implementation of a global strategy and programs to combat state-sponsored and state-directed Internet jamming by authoritarian foreign governments. Authorizes appropriations.
 
(Sec. 105) Directs the President to annually designate Internet-restricting countries. 
 

Title II: Minimum Corporate Standards for Online Freedom - 
(Sec. 201) Prohibits U.S. businesses from locating, within a designated Internet-restricting country, any electronic communication that contains any personally identifiable information.
 
(Sec. 202) Prohibits U.S. businesses that collect or obtain personally identifiable information through the Internet from providing that information to Internet-restricting countries, except for legitimate foreign law enforcement purposes as determined by the Department of Justice. Establishes a private right of action for violations, allowing damages, including punitive damages, without regard to the amount in controversy and without regard to the citizenship of the parties.
 
(Sec. 203) Requires any U.S. business that creates, provides, or hosts an Internet search engine to provide the OGIF with all terms and parameters used to filter or otherwise affect search results that are implemented because of any direct or indirect communication by any foreign official of an Internet-restricting country or to comply with a policy or practice of restrictions on Internet freedom in an Internet-restricting country.
 
 (Sec. 204) Requires U.S. businesses that maintain an Internet content hosting service to report certain Internet censorship information involving Internet-restricting countries to the OGIF.
 
 (Sec. 205) Prohibits U.S. businesses that maintain Internet content hosting services from jamming of U.S.-supported websites or U.S.-supported content in Internet-restricting countries.
 
(Sec. 206) Establishes civil and criminal penalties for companies and individuals for violations of various provisions of this Act.
 
(Sec. 207) Authorizes the President to waive the application of certain provisions of this title regarding a U.S. business or an Internet-restricting country. Directs the President to report waivers to Congress.
 

Title III: Export Controls for Internet-Restricting Countries - 
(Sec. 301) Directs the Secretary of Commerce to conduct a feasibility study regarding the development of export controls and export licensing requirements relating to any item subject to regulations commonly known as the Export Administration Regulations to an end user in Internet-restricting countries for the purpose of facilitating substantial restrictions on Internet freedom. Requires a related report to appropriate congressional committees.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-02-22
text: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 320.
action_date: 2008-02-22
text: Committee on Judiciary discharged.
action_date: 2008-02-22
text: Committee on Judiciary discharged.
action_date: 2008-02-22
text: Committee on Energy and Commerce discharged.
action_date: 2008-02-22
text: Committee on Energy and Commerce discharged.
action_date: 2008-02-08
text: House Committee on Judiciary Granted an extension for further consideration ending not later than Feb. 22, 2008.
action_date: 2008-02-01
text: House Committee on Judiciary Granted an extension for further consideration ending not later than Feb. 8, 2008.
action_date: 2008-02-01
text: House Committee on Energy and Commerce Granted an extension for further consideration ending not later than Feb. 22, 2008.
action_date: 2008-01-16
text: Referred sequentially to the House Committee on the Judiciary for a period ending not later than Feb. 1, 2008 for consideration of such provisions of the bill and amendment as fall within the jurisdiction of that committee pursuant to clause 1(k), rule X.
action_date: 2008-01-15
text: House Committee on Energy and Commerce Granted an extension for further consideration ending not later than Feb. 1, 2008.
action_date: 2007-12-10
text: House Committee on Energy and Commerce Granted an extension for further consideration ending not later than Jan. 16, 2008.
action_date: 2007-12-10
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Foreign Affairs. H. Rept. 110-481, Part I.
action_date: 2007-12-10
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Foreign Affairs. H. Rept. 110-481, Part I.
action_date: 2007-10-23
text: Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by Voice Vote.
action_date: 2007-10-23
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2007-03-30
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E702-703)
action_date: 2007-02-02
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection.
action_date: 2007-02-02
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet.
action_date: 2007-01-05
text: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-01-05
text: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-01-05
text: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-01-05
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-01-05
text: Introduced in House