At a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee entitled "The Google Predicament: Transforming U.S. Cyberspace Policy to Advance Democracy, Security, and Trade," Congressman Chris Smith, a senior member of the committee, addressed his colleagues about the need to protect internet freedom with his bill, HR 2271, the Global Online Freedom Act (GOFA), a bill backed by Google, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Reporters without Borders and other human rights and journalist organizations.
 

"Thank you, Mr. Chairman… for calling this hearing on Internet freedom. Reporters Without Borders documents that at least 120 people are currently imprisoned for Online postings—72 of them in China alone, but also large numbers in Iran and Vietnam… .”

(Click here to read Smith’s entire statement).

Click here to read Google’s letter of endorsement for Smith’s GOFA bill.