[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 54 (Tuesday, March 31, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H4136]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            INTERNET FREEDOM

  (Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Today, I, along with several of my 
colleagues, will be sending a letter to major Internet service 
providers, including Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo, expressing our 
concern regarding the worsening Internet restrictions in Vietnam.
  It has come to our attention that the Vietnamese Government intends 
to further restrict Internet access by asking major Internet service 
providers to assist them in policing the Internet.
  The letter strongly urges the Internet service providers to protect 
the Vietnamese people's freedom of speech and expression by providing 
technologies in a manner that respects individuals' rights and their 
privacy.
  The Internet has become a major source of communication and 
information for the Vietnamese citizens. As Members of Congress, we 
must continue to advocate for Vietnamese citizens' freedom of speech 
and their freedom of expression. Upholding these freedoms is a 
corporate social responsibility, and Internet service providers must do 
everything they can to provide Internet freedom for the people of 
Vietnam, despite the pressure that is coming from the Vietnamese 
Government.

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