[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 590 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 590

 Expressing grave concerns about the sweeping censorship, privacy, and 
cybersecurity implications of China's Green Dam filtering software, and 
 urging U.S. high-tech companies to promote the Internet as a tool for 
transparency, freedom of expression, and citizen empowerment around the 
                                 world.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 26, 2009

 Mr. Wu (for himself and Mr. Wolf) submitted the following resolution; 
         which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing grave concerns about the sweeping censorship, privacy, and 
cybersecurity implications of China's Green Dam filtering software, and 
 urging U.S. high-tech companies to promote the Internet as a tool for 
transparency, freedom of expression, and citizen empowerment around the 
                                 world.

Whereas, on May 19, 2009, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of 
        the People's Republic of China issued a broad directive requiring all 
        personal computers sold in China to have preinstalled filtering 
        software, called Green Dam Youth Escort, starting July 1, 2009;
Whereas online surveillance researchers assert that Green Dam has the ability to 
        block political and religious content and allow the Chinese government 
        to monitor Internet use and collect personal information;
Whereas in a report published on June 12, 2009, the OpenNet Initiative, a joint 
        project by the University of Toronto and Harvard, Cambridge, and Oxford 
        universities, found that the software hampers a computer's performance 
        by shutting down Web browsers and applications without warning, in 
        addition to creating serious security problems;
Whereas, a June 15, 2009, report by the OpenNet Initiative states, ``As a 
        computing tool Green Dam is far more powerful than the centralized 
        filtering system China currently implements. It actively monitors 
        individual computer behavior to the extent that its `language 
        processing' tool can institute extremely intrusive `kill' action on 
        sites if the content algorithm detects `inappropriate' sensitive 
        political or religious speech'';
Whereas Green Dam has already been downloaded more than 3.2 million times, 
        including downloads by thousands of schools that were required to 
        install the software by the end of May 2009;
Whereas China is home to 298 million Internet users, the largest population of 
        Internet users in the world;
Whereas in testimony before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission on June 18, 
        2009, Daniel Calingaert, deputy director of programs at Freedom House, 
        said, ``The response to the introduction of Green Dam censorship 
        software in China provides just the most recent example of citizens 
        using the Internet to stand up to repressive regimes. Numerous experts 
        in China tested the software, and word about its harmful effects spread 
        rapidly online. Ordinary citizens voiced strong objections to the 
        software and used social networking tools to organize online protests 
        against the Green Dam'';
Whereas, on June 9, 2009, the Information Technology Industry Council, the 
        Software & Information Industry Association, the Telecommunications 
        Industry Association, and TechAmerica issued the following joint 
        statement: ``[We] urge the Chinese government to reconsider implementing 
        its new mandatory filtering software requirement and would welcome the 
        opportunity for a meaningful dialogue. We believe there should be an 
        open and healthy dialogue on how parental control software can be 
        offered in the market in ways that ensure privacy, system reliability, 
        freedom of expression, the free flow of information, security and user 
        choice''; and
Whereas, on June 24, 2009, Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke and United States 
        Trade Representative Ron Kirk sent joint letters to China's Ministry of 
        Industry and Information Technology and China's Ministry of Commerce, 
        raising objections to Green Dam and expressing concerns that the Chinese 
        government's directive may violate China's commitments under the World 
        Trade Organization: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) expresses grave concerns about the sweeping censorship, 
        privacy, and cybersecurity implications of the Green Dam 
        filtering software;
            (2) calls on the government of the People's Republic of 
        China to rescind its requirement for Green Dam to be 
        preinstalled on all new computers;
            (3) expresses unyielding support for the people of China in 
        their quest for Internet freedom and free expression; and
            (4) urges U.S. high-tech companies to promote the Internet 
        as a tool for transparency, freedom of expression, and citizen 
        empowerment around the world.
                                 <all>