; and (xii) coercion by proxy, such as harassment of, or threats or harm to, family and associates of private individuals who remain in their country of origin. 4. Combating transnational repression abroad (a) Findings Congress makes the following findings: (1) Amidst a backdrop of global democratic decline, authoritarian governments are increasingly collaborating and employing aggressive tactics across borders to silence, coerce, harass, or harm individuals for peacefully exercising their rights and fundamental freedoms. (2) Governments commit transnational repression through physical and digital means. The advancement of digital technology provides new tools for censoring, surveilling, harassing, and targeting individuals deemed to be threats across international borders. This is particularly significant for dissidents and journalists forced abroad who rely on communications technology to amplify their messages and communicate with their professional and personal support networks. (3) Since 2014, Freedom House has documented 854 direct physical incidents of transnational repression committed by 38 governments in 91 countries. Nonphysical acts of transnational repression are occurring even more frequently. The combined effect of these direct threats produces a chilling effect that compels countless more people to modify their behavior due to fear of transnational repression. (4) In 2023, the countries whose governments are committing the highest number of direct physical acts of transnational repression are China, Turkey, Tajikistan, Russia, and Egypt. (5) Transnational repression is used by governments to target perceived critics, who may include human rights defenders, democracy activists, political opponents, members of diaspora groups, and the family members of such individuals. (b) Statement of policy on transnational repression It is the policy of the United States— (1) to regard transnational repression as a direct threat to the United States national interests of upholding and promoting democratic values