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H.R. 275, The Global Online Freedom Act of 2007
- This item is from the 110th Congress (2007-2008) and is no longer current. Comments, voting, and wiki editing have been disabled, and the cost/savings estimate has been frozen.
Comparing revision saved on February 2, 2008, 19:40:21 (webmaster), with revision saved on February 9, 2008, 20:05:50 (webmaster):
H.R. 275 would promote freedom of expression on the Internet and protect United States businesses from coercion to participate in repression by authoritarian foreign governments.
== Detailed Summary ==
<summary>
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.
</summary>
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== Status of the Legislation ==
<status>
Latest Major Action: 2/1/2008:2/8/2008: House Committee on Judiciary Granted an extension for further consideration ending not later than Feb. 8,22, 2008.
</status>
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== Points in Favor ==
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== Points Against ==
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Visitor Comments
Ken Udas
December 26, 2007, 4:40am (report abuse)I lead an organization that offers distance education to learners in a number of countries. Our principal mode of delivery is online. I am wondering if H.R. 275 would cover a situation in which a government actor of an “Internet-restricting country” requested the identity of a student or faculty member who produced content within an online course, even if it were legally acceptable to do so in a face-to-face/residential course? For example, materials posted to a discussion forum, published in a course blog or wiki, or a paper or other project stored in the learning management system were requested. If anybody has a thought about this, it would be great.
Ken Udas
December 26, 2007, 4:40am (report abuse)I recently made a blog posting on Terra Incognita (http://blog.worldcampus.psu.edu) titled “The Global Online Freedom Act of 2007 and Open Education.” Terra Incognita is an education related blog that has focused on open source software (OSS), open educational resources (OER). In the posting I provided a bit of background and then posed the following questions:
1) Would this type of legislation (H.R. 275) be useful to educators?
2) Would it potentially serve as a means to free up OER for use in various countries?
3) Does it address fundamental access issues that are precursors for Open Education?
4) More pragmatically, does it potentially pose interesting questions for US universities who partner with universities in foreign countries that require “location of personally identifiable information” of students or faculty, wish to filter content, or block Internet sites?
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