The FREEDOM Act
Feasibility Review of Emerging Equipment for Digital Open Media Act
What is the problem?
Section 5124 of the FY25 NDAA requires the State Department to submit a strategy for promoting internet freedom in Iran within 90 days of enactment, update it within 120 days, undergo biannual executive branch reviews, and report any resulting modifications to Congress. While the State Department transmitted this report to the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) and Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC), it did not fully analyze the feasibility of emerging direct-to-cell technologies—an emerging technology that could help bypass authoritarian restrictions on internet access in the future.
Direct-to-cell communication enables standard smartphones to connect directly to Low Earth Orbit satellites for text messaging, calls, and low-bandwidth data—without relying on regime-controlled cellular networks. Without fully analyzing the potential future impacts of this emerging technology, U.S. policy efforts to promote internet freedom in Iran risk falling behind rapidly developing capabilities.
How does the FREEDOM Act address the problem?
The Feasibility Review of Emerging Equipment for Digital Open Media (FREEDOM) Act would require the Department of State, in consultation with the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of the Treasury, to supplement the Section 5124 report to HFAC and SFRC by assessing:
The feasibility of utilizing direct-to-cell technologies to promote internet freedom in Iran;
Related technologies that could affect feasibility, such as drones and jamming;
The role of terrestrial telecom providers and their implications for this technology; and
Other relevant factors that could affect deployment and policy implications.
Why does the FREEDOM Act matter?
Authoritarian regimes increasingly rely on internet blackouts and surveillance to stifle dissent and control information. Direct-to-cell satellite technology represents a promising innovation for future secure, independent communication channels that cannot easily be censored or shut down.
By requiring a comprehensive feasibility review, the FREEDOM Act ensures the U.S. government and Congress have the information to responsibly assess these technologies future applications, strengthen America’s digital diplomacy, and advance freedom of expression and access to information abroad.
Lead Sponsors Staff Contact Information
Rep. Dave Min (D-CA-47) Leo Sheehan(leo.sheehan@mail.house.gov)
Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY-24) Zev Siegfeld(zev.siegfeld@mail.house.gov)