Iran Human Rights, Internet Freedom, and Accountability Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill aims to help people in Iran get around government internet shutdowns. It puts the State Department in charge of a plan to provide tools like satellite internet and special apps so citizens can talk to each other and the outside world without being tracked or blocked by their government.
• The plan specifically helps Iranian activists, journalists, and regular citizens who face violence or prison for speaking out. It includes providing cybersecurity training and safe messaging tools to protect people from being caught by the Iranian government's 'morality police' or other security forces.
• The bill would punish people or companies that help the Iranian government spy on its citizens or shut down the internet. This includes blocking those people from doing business with the U.S. and investigating whether their family members in America are helping the Iranian regime.
• It sets aside at least $20 million every year from 2027 to 2030 for grants that support internet freedom. This money would go toward developing new, low-cost technology that is hard for the Iranian government to block, such as portable communication systems and mesh networks.
• Supporters say this is necessary because the Iranian government has killed or arrested thousands of people during recent protests. By keeping the internet open, the U.S. hopes to help Iranians document human rights abuses and work toward having a say in their own government leadership.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.