Algorithm Accountability Act

The Algorithm Accountability Act aims to amend Section 230 of the Communications Act of 1934, significantly altering the liability landscape for certain social media platforms. It introduces a new subsection requiring providers of social media platforms to exercise reasonable care in the design, training, testing, deployment, operation, and maintenance of their recommendation-based algorithms . This duty is specifically to prevent bodily injury or death that is reasonably foreseeable and attributable, in whole or in part, to the algorithm's characteristics or performance. If a social media platform violates this duty of care, it will lose its liability protection under Section 230(c)(1) for that specific instance. Furthermore, the bill establishes a private right of action , allowing individuals who suffer bodily injury or death due to such a violation to bring a civil lawsuit in federal court for compensatory and punitive damages. The legislation also invalidates predispute arbitration agreements and waivers for disputes arising under this new provision, ensuring judicial oversight. However, the duty of care does not apply to content sorted chronologically or to initial search results, and it includes First Amendment protections against enforcement based on viewpoint. The bill defines a "social media platform" with specific criteria, excluding smaller services and certain communication or commerce platforms.