Bill > S3764

This bill, the Internet Freedom and Operations (INFO) Act of 2022, authorizes U.S. government efforts to promote and protect internet freedom in countries where the freedom of information is under threat. It provides $75 million in funding to the Department of State and USAID (the U.S. Agency for International Development) to continue their internet freedom programs, as well as $49 million to USAGM (the U.S. Agency for Global Media) and its grantees for internet freedom and circumvention technologies. The bill also authorizes the Secretary of State to quickly provide $2.5 million from the Economic Support Fund to vetted entities already engaged in internet freedom programs in countries that restrict or shut off internet access to their residents. The bill requires reports on the scope of existing internet freedom programs, the capacity of circumvention tools, and any barriers to providing these efforts, as well as new resources needed to rapidly respond to internet shutdowns and provide internet connectivity in repressive regimes.

Government Affairs

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3764/all-info