WASHINGTON – Delaware Senator Chris Coons (D) along with North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis (R) are taking on modern problems with what they hope are modern solutions. The two men plan to introduce the Advancing Digital Freedom Act of 2024, and the stated goal of this legislation is to make digital freedom a key U.S. foreign policy priority.
The bill attempts to counter authoritarian regimes that use technology to suppress human rights and spread disinformation.Â
According to a release from Senator Coons the legislation would:
- Elevate digital freedom as a foremost foreign policy priority of the United States
- Empower the Coordinator for Digital Freedom in the State Department’s Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy to lead global efforts to protect digital freedom, counter disinformation and misinformation, and advance democratic governance in the digital space
- Encourage the State Department to engage with foreign governments, nongovernmental organizations, and other actors to coordinate efforts to defend digital freedom against digital authoritarianism
- Require the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy to submit an annual report to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee on the state of global digital freedom, including analysis of emerging and concerning trends impacting digital freedom                                Â
Looking forward to introducing my Advancing Digital Freedom Act with @SenThomTillis. As threats to human rights grow, the United States must continue leading global efforts to protect digital freedoms and deploy technology in a manner that respects democracy and rule of law.
— Senator Chris Coons (@ChrisCoons) October 22, 2024
Senators Coons and Tillis, along with bipartisan sponsors, stress the importance of using technology to support democracy and protect human rights globally.Â