Senate backs up Clinton on Internet freedom, Google/China

The Senate unanimously adopted a resolution on Feb. 2 in support of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s calls for global Internet freedom and for the Chinese government to investigate allegations of cyberattacks against Google originating in that country.

Senators followed up on many of the themes regarding Internet freedom that Clinton mentioned during a Jan. 21 speech, and their resolution supported the development of new tools to circumvent censorship.

The Senate “condemns the far-reaching cyber attacks allegedly launched from China against Google, at least 34 other companies, and numerous individuals discovered in December 2009” and calls on the Chinese government “to conduct a thorough review of these cyber intrusions, and to make the investigation and its results transparent,” the resolution said.

In comments since Clinton’s speech, Chinese officials have denied involvement in a cyber attack and have said the country’s Internet is open.

The resolution, was introduced by Sens. Ted Kaufman (D-Del.), Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.), Jim Webb (D-Va.), Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.).

The Senate also called on President Obama and Clinton to “to develop a means by which the United States government can more rapidly identify, publicize and respond to threats against freedom of press and freedom of expression around the world, including through support of new and existing censorship circumvention technology.”