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Advocates and cybersecurity professionals urge rejection or major edits to HB 291 over foreign partnership, surveillance and transparency concerns
Summary
Multiple witnesses, including cybersecurity professionals and community advocates, opposed House Bill 291's provisions enabling foreign partnerships (explicitly referencing Israel) for cyber and surveillance research, raising national-security, transparency and human-rights concerns and urging removal of explicit foreign-collaboration language and added safeguards.
Several witnesses testified in opposition to House Bill 291, which includes language authorizing joint research agreements and partnerships, "particularly with Israel," and allows the commission to solicit private and foreign funds. Speakers raised concerns that the bill could expose Ohio institutions to foreign military-linked technology and create opportunities for untransparent funding and surveillance partnerships.
Jay Qutifan, co-president of American Muslims for Palestine in Columbus, called HB 291 "not a trade bill" but…
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