Katie Porter: “In Iran, we see a familiar pattern. Iranians are standing up, demanding change for themselves, their families, and their…”

“In Iran, we see a familiar pattern. Iranians are standing up, demanding change for themselves, their families, and their country. Then, the Iranian regime cracks down, arresting protesters and journalists and unleashing violence against its own people. Instead of giving its people the freedoms they seek, the regime limits freedoms, including restricting internet access. For authoritarian governments like the Iranian regime, restricting internet access couldn't be more crucial as a tool in repressing their own citizens. The internet is a portal to information about human rights, democratic order, economic prosperity, and thriving civil society. These things support freedom, and freedom is exactly the opposite of what the Iranian regime wants. To give Iranians a better future, we need to support them in having real access to the internet, and that means the internet without censorship, without digital surveillance, and without online repression. My amendment will help us do that. First, the amendment will require an assessment of the ways the Iranian Government shuts down, censors, and weaponizes the internet. Then, it will commission an assessment of whether United States policy is currently best supporting the flow of communication tools to the Iranian people. Finally, it will require the United States to develop strategies to counter Iran's online repression and prevent the Iranian regime from using tools of digital repression.…”