Press Releases

Rep. Ben Cline Introduces the End U.N. Censorship Act

Washington, September 19, 2023

Yesterday, Congressman Ben Cline (R-VA) introduced H.R. 5531, the End the U.N. Censorship Act. Currently, U.S. contributions to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are being used to develop and implement an artificial intelligence (AI) assisted fact-checking tool, iVerify, to label and censor speech online as mis-, dis-, and mal- information, as well as toxic or hate speech. This legislation would prohibit U.S. taxpayer funds from being used to further the UNDP’s iVerify initiative.

 Rep. Ben Cline said, “The United Nations Development Programme’s iVerify tool is something straight out of Orwell’s 1984, using AI to help label, suppress, and censor speech online at the expense of American tax dollars. That’s wrong and goes against the very principles enshrined in the First Amendment. We must prevent taxpayer dollars from playing any part in censorship on a global scale, and my bill will do just that.”

Read more in Fox News Digital here and the full bill text here.

BACKGROUND ON END THE U.N. CENSORSHIP ACT (H.R. 5531)

  • In 2021, the U.S. gave the United Nations Development Programme $190 million.
  • iVerify is currently being tested in five countries: Kenya, Honduras, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Zambia.
  • iVerify is also being listed in the Digital Public Good Registry, meaning that hostile governments can model it for their own illicit intent.
  • The U.N. is also partnering with the following companies to carry out this program.
    • Crowd Tangle – A Facebook/Meta-connected fact checking tool.
    • Meedan – Received $255,997 from the National Science Foundation for “Identifying and Countering Misinformation on Closed Messaging Platforms (Covid-19).”
    • International Fact Checking Network (IFCN) - A grant and fellowship making organization to “help fact-checkers, solution providers, and other eligible organizations launch new and innovative fact-checking programs and initiatives.”

Congressman Ben Cline represents the Sixth Congressional District of Virginia. He previously was an attorney in private practice and served both as an assistant prosecutor and Member of the Virginia House of Delegates. Cline and his wife, Elizabeth, live in Botetourt County with their two children.

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