Libtech, Foreign Policy released a copy of the compromise version of the upcoming Johnson/Ros-Lehtinen sanctions bill; expected to be legislatively passed in the next week. In true Congressional form, quite a portion of the mandates involve 'Internet Freedom' agenda items -- namely export regulation on sensitive technology, expanding content availability, International Broadcasting, and satellite jamming. * * *This is important.* The State and Treasury Department will be tasked with addressing issues of 'dual use technologies' and digital security. While I appreciate the addition of §414(7)(B) for clarifying sanctions regulations, Congress has a part to play in ensuring clarity on the political boundaries of such exports.
[PDF] http://www.foreignpolicy.com/files/fp_uploaded_documents/120730_MRW12361.pdf *(Introduction)* It is the sense of Congress that the goal of compelling Iran to abandon > efforts to acquire a nuclear weapons capability and other threatening > activities can be effectively achieved through a comprehensive policy > ... [a]mong the economic measures to be taken are— > (4) a focus on countering Iran’s efforts to evade sanctions, including— (A) the activities of telecommunications, Internet, and satellite service > providers, in and outside of Iran, to ensure that such providers are not > participating in or facilitating, directly or indirectly, the evasion of > the sanctions regime with respect to Iran or violations of the human rights > of the people of Iran; *SEC. 412. CLARIFICATION OF SENSITIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR PURPOSES OF PROCUREMENT BAN UNDER COMPREHENSIVE IRAN SANCTIONS, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND DIVESTMENT ACT OF 2010. * > The Secretary of State shall— (1) not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, > issue guidelines to further describe the technologies that may be > considered ‘‘sensitive technology’’ for purposes of section 106 of the > Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 > (22 U.S.C. 8515), with special attention to new forms of sophisticated > jamming, monitoring, and surveillance technology relating to mobile > telecommunications and the Internet, and publish those guidelines in the > Federal Register; (2) determine the types of technologies that enable any indigenous > capabilities that Iran has to disrupt and monitor information and > communications in that country, and consider adding descriptions of those > items to the guidelines; and (3) periodically review, but in no case less than once each year, the > guidelines and, if necessary, amend the guidelines on the basis of > technological developments and new information regarding transfers of > technologies to Iran and the development of Iran’s indigenous capabilities > to disrupt and monitor information and communications in Iran. *SEC. 414. COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY TO PROMOTE INTERNET FREEDOM AND ACCESS TO INFORMATION IN IRAN. * Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the > Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury and > the heads of other Federal agencies, as appropriate, shall submit to the > appropriate congressional committees a comprehensive strategy to— (1) assist the people of Iran to produce, access, and share information > freely and safely via the Internet, including in Farsi and regional > languages; (2) support the development of counter-censorship technologies that enable > the citizens of Iran to undertake Internet activities without > interference from the Government of Iran; (3) increase the capabilities and availability of secure mobile and other > communications through connective technology among human rights and > democracy activists in Iran; (4) provide resources for digital safety training for media and academic > and civil society organizations in Iran; (5) provide accurate and substantive Internet content in local languages in > Iran; (6) increase emergency resources for the most vulnerable human rights > advocates seeking to organize, share information, and support human > rights in Iran; (7) expand surrogate radio, television, live stream, and social network > communications inside Iran, including— (A) by expanding Voice of America’s Persian News Network and Radio Free > Europe/Radio Liberty’s Radio Farda to provide hourly live news update > programming and breaking news coverage capability 24 hours a day and 7 days > a week; and (B) by assisting telecommunications and software companies that are United > States persons to comply with the export licensing requirements of the > United States for the purpose of expanding such communications inside Iran; (8) expand activities to safely assist and train human rights, civil > society, and democracy activists in Iran to operate effectively and > securely; (9) identify and utilize all available resources to overcome attempts by > the Government of Iran to jam or otherwise deny international satellite > broadcasting signals; (10) expand worldwide United States embassy and consulate programming for > and outreach to Iranian dissident communities; (11) expand access to proxy servers for democacy activists in Iran; and (12) discourage telecommunications and software companies from > facilitating Internet censorship by the Government of Iran. Cordially, Collin -- *Collin David Anderson* averysmallbird.com | @cda | Washington, D.C.
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