Rep. Greg Walden: Keeping the Internet free

U.S. Rep. Greg Walden

Have you heard that the Administration has proposed transferring control over internet domain names from the United States to another entity? I join those who are concerned about any change that could leave the internet vulnerable to power grabs from international governments.

That’s why I led a hearing of the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology—which I chair—about this proposal.  Click here to watch coverage of this hearing from Fox News .

We cannot allow institutions such as the United Nations or the International Telecommunication Union to insert themselves into the functioning of the internet. Make no mistake: threats to the openness and freedom of the Internet are real. Some authoritarian leaders like Vladimir Putin have explicitly announced their desire to gain control of the Internet. We must not allow that to happen.

This week, the Communications and Technology subcommittee will vote on the DOTCOM Act, which would direct the Government Accountability Office to conduct a thorough, independent analysis of the proposed changes and report back to Congress before the Administration can take action.  Click here to watch my video announcing the vote.

I hope that our proposal will win strong support from both sides of the aisle. Last year, the U.S. House unanimously passed H.R. 1580, the bill I wrote to preserve internet freedom. The Senate should take up and pass this important measure as quickly as possible to make clear to foreign governments that the United States stands strong for an internet free from government interference.