This bill aims to safeguard the personal information of military servicemembers by prohibiting data brokers from providing their lists to certain foreign entities. Specifically, it makes it unlawful for a data broker to sell, resell, license, trade, or otherwise make available a military servicemember list to any covered nation or person controlled by a covered nation. A military servicemember list includes personal information (excluding public records) about current or former servicemembers, while a data broker is defined as a person who knowingly collects and provides personal information of individuals with whom they lack a direct relationship. Furthermore, the bill mandates that data brokers include contractual requirements ensuring that any person receiving a servicemember list from them cannot, in turn, provide it to a covered nation or controlled entity. Violations of these provisions, including conspiracies or evasive transactions, are treated as unfair or deceptive acts under the Federal Trade Commission Act. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is granted broad enforcement powers, including the ability to seek injunctions, compel compliance, and obtain damages. State attorneys general can also bring civil actions on behalf of their residents, with a requirement to notify the FTC. Finally, the Comptroller General is tasked with submitting a report to Congress within one year, analyzing the Act's enforcement and recommending potential expansions or additional resources.
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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.
Commerce
Protecting Military Servicemembers Data from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2025
USA119th CongressS-1512| Senate
| Updated: 4/29/2025
This bill aims to safeguard the personal information of military servicemembers by prohibiting data brokers from providing their lists to certain foreign entities. Specifically, it makes it unlawful for a data broker to sell, resell, license, trade, or otherwise make available a military servicemember list to any covered nation or person controlled by a covered nation. A military servicemember list includes personal information (excluding public records) about current or former servicemembers, while a data broker is defined as a person who knowingly collects and provides personal information of individuals with whom they lack a direct relationship. Furthermore, the bill mandates that data brokers include contractual requirements ensuring that any person receiving a servicemember list from them cannot, in turn, provide it to a covered nation or controlled entity. Violations of these provisions, including conspiracies or evasive transactions, are treated as unfair or deceptive acts under the Federal Trade Commission Act. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is granted broad enforcement powers, including the ability to seek injunctions, compel compliance, and obtain damages. State attorneys general can also bring civil actions on behalf of their residents, with a requirement to notify the FTC. Finally, the Comptroller General is tasked with submitting a report to Congress within one year, analyzing the Act's enforcement and recommending potential expansions or additional resources.