Reps. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, and Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., reintroduced a bill aiming to boost the country’s internet security while maintaining diplomacy and online freedom. The Cyber Diplomacy Act would appoint a special ambassador to lead cyber diplomacy initiatives with the Department of State, and establish cyber policy built on democratic principles, the House Foreign Affairs Committee said Thursday.
The bill would also task the country’s United Nations ambassador to move forward with international cyberspace policy, and encourage collaboration with foreign governments. Lastly, the bipartisan legislation would direct the Department of State to include internet freedom assessments in annual human rights reports.
“The United States must lead the way in promoting a secure and free Internet and reject China and Russia’s authoritarian attempts to impose state control over the global cyber commons,” McCaul said. “I am proud to sponsor the Cyber Diplomacy Act which elevates the State Department’s role in setting international cyber policy and strengthens our diplomatic tools,” he added.
