Representative Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) has teamed up with Representative Claudia Tenney (R-NY) to introduce a bipartisan bill thwarting Iran's internal internet censorship so its people can communicate freely.
What the Bill Does
Rep. Ansari's Internet Reach and Access Now (IRAN) Act strengthens ongoing US strategies to subvert Iran's censorship systems by requiring regular reviews, implementation assessments, and congressional reporting.
Additionally, the bill will evaluate technologies such as VPNs, decentralized networks, and direct cell-to-satellite communications, and expand cybersecurity training, federal coordination, and efforts to ensure the security of digital tools for journalists, human rights activists, and others.
What Ansari and Tenney are Saying
"Freedom of expression and access to unrestricted information are fundamental human rights. The Islamic Republic regularly shuts down or restricts internet access while committing mass atrocities," said Rep. Ansari through a press release. "President Trump has said 'help is on the way' for the Iranian people. Ensuring unrestricted internet access would actually help people immediately. I'm proud to introduce the IRAN Act, a bipartisan, noncontroversial, and not militarily invasive bill that would do just that."
Similarly, Rep. Tenney stated, "The Iranian regime knows that access to information is a threat to its grip on power, which is why it relies on censorship, surveillance, and internet blackouts to silence the Iranian people."
"The United States should stand with the courageous Iranians demanding basic freedoms by helping them stay connected to one another and the outside world," Rep. Tenney continued, adding, "The bipartisan IRAN Act strengthens our internet freedom strategy, supports secure technologies that can overcome the regime's censorship, and improves coordination across our government so these efforts deliver real results. The Iranian people deserve the ability to communicate freely, access independent information, and expose the regime's brutality to the world."
Previous Iran Bills
In May, Ansari introduced the Iranian Temporary Immigration Relief Act grants, which retains TPS for eligible Iranian nationals already in the United States, grants them work authorization, and maintains lawful presence for individuals whose status remains pending during the USCIS adjudication pause.
The bill does not apply to individuals connected to the Islamic Republic regime or their family members.
