Summary
NetChoice proudly testified in support of the Right to Compute Act, viewing it as a vital piece of legislation that extends Granite Staters’ constitutional rights of free expression and privacy to the digital tools they use every day. By establishing a strict scrutiny standard, this bill ensures the government cannot restrict the private use of “computational resources”—from basic software to advanced AI—unless such regulation is narrowly tailored to a compelling interest, such as preventing fraud or protecting minors from deepfakes. We believe this act is essential for fostering innovation, affirming that in the 21st century, the rights to speak, innovate and own property are inextricably linked to the right to use technology.
New Hampshire HB 1124, The Right to Compute Act
January 29, 2026
New Hampshire House of Representatives
Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee
New Hampshire State House
107 North Main Street
Concord, New Hampshire, 03301
Dear Chairman Hunt, Vice Chairman Potucek, and Members of the Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee:
NetChoice respectfully asks that you support HB 1124, the Right to Compute Act. NetChoice is a trade association of leading internet businesses that promotes the value, convenience, and choice that internet business models provide to American consumers. Our mission is to make the internet safe for free enterprise and free expression. Perhaps no piece of legislation embodies these principles more than the Right to Compute Act.
We support this bill because it recognizes a fundamental truth of the modern era: in the 21st century, the right to speak, innovate, and own property is inextricably linked to the right to use technology.
HB 1124 codifies that Granite Staters’ constitutional rights to free expression and privacy, found in Part 1, Articles 22, 30, and 2-b of the New Hampshire Constitution, extend to the digital tools we use every day. It affirms that the right to acquire and protect property applies not just to physical goods, but to our “computational resources” as well.
Crucially, this bill establishes the correct standard of review for government regulation. It states that the government cannot restrict the private use of these tools unless it is “demonstrably necessary and narrowly tailored to fulfill a compelling government interest[.]” Too often, well-intended regulations try to micromanage innovation and make perfect the enemy of the good by demanding the unrealistic elimination of all risk over realistic and permissive safeguards. Such regulatory schemes amount to de facto bans on vital technologies through sheer compliance burdens, regardless of the intent of the law. The Right to Compute Act is a hedge against these unintended consequences of well-intended regulation.
At NetChoice, we believe the strict scrutiny standard of the Right to Compute Act is essential for fostering innovation. It protects the developers and users of everything from basic software to advanced machine learning and quantum applications. By defining “computational resources” broadly to include protocols, platforms, and algorithms, this bill ensures that New Hampshire remains a haven for technological creators.
However, this bill is not a shield for bad actors, and we appreciate that balance. It explicitly defines compelling interests to include preventing fraud, protecting minors from harmful deepfakes, and ensuring safety in critical infrastructure controlled by AI. It allows the state to step in where there is real harm, without giving the government a blank check to stifle innovation.
By passing HB 1124, New Hampshire will signal that it is a state that values digital liberty and the tools of the future. Passing the Right to Compute Act in New Hampshire will serve as a beacon to entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors that New Hampshire is not just open for business but unafraid of the future.
Sincerely,
Patrick Hedger
Director of Policy
NetChoice
NetChoice is a trade association that works to protect free expression and promote free enterprise online.