Senate Condemns Google Attack
The Senate passed a bipartisan resolution Tuesday evening condemning the December cyber attack against Google and other firms that apparently originated from China. The resolution, which passed by voice vote, condemned "the far-reaching cyber attacks allegedly launched from China against Google, [and] at least 34 other companies," called on China to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation of the matter, and also reaffirmed "the centrality of freedom of expression and press freedom as cornerstones of United States foreign policy and United States efforts to promote individual rights."
In a statement following the Senate vote, Sen. Ted Kaufman, D-Del., one of the resolution's cosponsors, said, "This resolution reaffirms freedom of expression and the press as cornerstones of U.S. foreign policy, and we will continue to take measures to promote these fundamental freedoms and rights globally. Governments who use technology to silence their citizens or restrict the free flow of information should consider themselves on notice."
China has erected an electronic blocking system that restricts access in China to some Web sites and information.
When it revealed the cyber attack last month, Google said it would stop censoring its search results for users in China, a move it acknowledged may force it to leave the country. A Google spokesman said the firm did not have any comment on the Senate resolution. But he did say the firm has not implemented its plan to stop censoring Chinese search results yet. When it made its initial announcement in January, Google indicated it planned to talk with Chinese officials about the issue.
While a House companion to the Senate measure has not been introduced, Rep. David Wu, D-Ore., offered a resolution in June that expresses "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."
Kaufman and senators also have been active in pushing the U.S. government to provide support for Iranians seeking to bypass government monitoring and censorship imposed by the Iranian regime. Congress passed legislation last year as part of the 2010 defense authorization act that authorized funding for the development of technologies that will help the Iranian people evade electronic censorship and monitoring.
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