House Committee endorses bill to stop online repression

HOUSE COMMITTEE ENDORSES BILL TO STOP ONLINE REPRESSION
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Peter Kaplan]
The House Foreign Relations Committee endorsed legislation on Tuesday that would bar U.S. Internet companies from cooperating with authorities in China and other repressive regimes. It voted in favor of legislation designed to stop companies such as Yahoo Inc from turning over personal information to governments that use it to suppress dissent. "Dictatorships need two pillars to survive -- propaganda and secret police. The Internet -- if misused -- gives them both in spades," Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), the author of the bill, said. The bill would give individuals the right to sue companies in federal court if their information was improperly disclosed. It also requires Internet service providers to disclose to the U.S. government the terms and phrases they filter and the restrictions imposed on them in "Internet-restricting" countries. The bill needs approval from the House Commerce Committee before it can reach the House floor. A companion bill has not yet been introduced in the Senate.
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN2335605620071023