A bill to protect the right of the American public under the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States to receive news and information from disparate sources by regulating the use of automated software programs intended to impersonate or replicate human activity on social media.
Bot Disclosure and Accountability Act of 2018 This bill directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to promulgate regulations to require social media providers to establish and implement policies and procedures to require their user to publicly disclose the use of any automated software program or process intended to impersonate or replicate human activity online. A violation of such regulations shall be treated as an unfair or deceptive act or practice under the Federal Trade Commission Act. The bill amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit a candidate or political party from: (1) using any automated software programs or processes intended to impersonate or replicate human activity online to make, amplify, share, or otherwise disseminate any public communication; or (2) soliciting, accepting, purchasing, or selling any automated software programs or processes intended to impersonate or replicate human activity online for any purpose. No political committee, corporation, or labor organization may: (1) use or cause to be used any automated software programs or processes intended to impersonate or replicate human activity online to disseminate any message that expressly advocates for the election or defeat of a candidate; or (2) solicit, accept, purchase or sell any such programs or processes for any such purpose. This prohibition shall not apply to internal or administrative systems not oriented or accessible to the public.
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Timeline
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Science, Technology, Communications
Administrative law and regulatory proceduresDigital mediaElections, voting, political campaign regulationFederal Trade Commission (FTC)Freedom of informationInternet and video servicesInternet, web applications, social mediaNews media and reportingPolitical advertisingSubversive activities
A bill to protect the right of the American public under the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States to receive news and information from disparate sources by regulating the use of automated software programs intended to impersonate or replicate human activity on social media.
USA115th CongressS-3127| Senate
| Updated: 6/25/2018
Bot Disclosure and Accountability Act of 2018 This bill directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to promulgate regulations to require social media providers to establish and implement policies and procedures to require their user to publicly disclose the use of any automated software program or process intended to impersonate or replicate human activity online. A violation of such regulations shall be treated as an unfair or deceptive act or practice under the Federal Trade Commission Act. The bill amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit a candidate or political party from: (1) using any automated software programs or processes intended to impersonate or replicate human activity online to make, amplify, share, or otherwise disseminate any public communication; or (2) soliciting, accepting, purchasing, or selling any automated software programs or processes intended to impersonate or replicate human activity online for any purpose. No political committee, corporation, or labor organization may: (1) use or cause to be used any automated software programs or processes intended to impersonate or replicate human activity online to disseminate any message that expressly advocates for the election or defeat of a candidate; or (2) solicit, accept, purchase or sell any such programs or processes for any such purpose. This prohibition shall not apply to internal or administrative systems not oriented or accessible to the public.
Administrative law and regulatory proceduresDigital mediaElections, voting, political campaign regulationFederal Trade Commission (FTC)Freedom of informationInternet and video servicesInternet, web applications, social mediaNews media and reportingPolitical advertisingSubversive activities