Representative John Curtis (R-UT), member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, joined released the following statement after introducing the bipartisan Open Technology Fund Authorization Act:
“Silicon Slopes, located in my entrepreneurial Utah, has one of the best tech sectors and workforces in the nation,” said Curtis. “The Open Technology Fund Authorization Act would capitalize on our strengths by promoting tech jobs and supporting the development of new technologies that could protect against bad actors that try to shut down the internet, censor information, or locate those advocating for democratic rights.”
The legislation will bolster US efforts to respond to oppressive censorship and internet restriction worldwide by authorizing the Open Technology Fund (OTF) as an independent grantee within the US Agency for Global Media. This will enable the OTF to better support global projects focused on counteracting repressive censorship and surveillance to promote free speech and communication on the internet.
The Congressman is joined on H.R. 6621 by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel (D-NY), House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican Michael McCaul (R-TX), and Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ).
