INFORM Act Proposes $75M Annually to Counter China's Digital Censorship with New Global News Service and Tech Tools

The INFORM Act, short for Informing a Nation with Free, Open, and Reliable Media Act of 2025, sets out a plan to significantly boost access to uncensored information for people in the People's Republic of China (PRC). It proposes establishing a formal strategy, creating a new 'Global News Service' under the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM), setting up an interagency task force for better coordination, and authorizing $75 million annually from 2025 through 2029 ($25 million for the State Department, $50 million for USAGM) to fund these efforts. The core idea is to push back against the PRC's tight internet controls and information censorship, aiming to provide Chinese citizens, both inside and outside China, with more diverse sources of news and information.

Punching Holes in the 'Great Firewall'

A major part of this bill focuses on technology to bypass China's extensive internet censorship, often called the 'Great Firewall'. Section 6 requires a strategy that includes improving censorship circumvention tools, like VPNs, and secure ways for people inside China to share information. Section 8 specifically directs the State Department and USAGM's Open Technology Fund to boost funding and development for tools designed to get around PRC censorship. Think of it like providing digital lockpicks and secret passages for people trying to access websites or news blocked by the government. The goal is to make it easier for ordinary citizens in China to reach the global, uncensored internet, countering the government's efforts to create a closed-off digital environment.

Content Creation and the Global News Feed

Beyond just the tools, the Act emphasizes creating and distributing content specifically for Chinese audiences. The plan involves producing relevant Mandarin Chinese material covering daily life challenges, PRC government policies, and topics like corruption (Section 4). A key piece is the new 'Global News Service' (Section 7), tasked with curating news from outlets like Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA), translating it into Mandarin and English, and distributing it globally, targeting media outlets in countries influenced by PRC media and the Chinese diaspora. Section 8 also pushes VOA and RFA to increase Mandarin content relevant to Chinese citizens and directs the State Department to build networks with Mandarin-speaking content creators. While aiming for relevance, the specific focus on Mandarin Chinese content might overlook the information needs of other linguistic groups within the PRC.

Coordinating the Push and Addressing the Imbalance

To make sure these efforts aren't scattered, the bill establishes an interagency task force led by a presidential coordinator and requires a detailed strategy within a year (Sections 6 & 8). This aims to get different parts of the U.S. government working together on creating content, funding tools, and engaging with Chinese citizens, including those living or traveling abroad. The bill also highlights the 'lack of reciprocity' – the fact that the U.S. internet is open to PRC state media while U.S. entities face heavy restrictions in China. Section 9 directs the Secretary of State to prioritize diplomacy on this issue and asks the President to consider using available tools to level the playing field. While the goals are clear, the effectiveness hinges on strong coordination and how terms like 'independent information' are interpreted in practice. The authorized $75 million annual funding underscores a significant U.S. commitment, drawing from taxpayer resources to support these foreign information initiatives.