Bill · S. 1634· Senate(119-S-1634)
ACCESS Act of 2025
- Introduced
- 5/7/2025
- Last activity
- 5/7/2025 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Sponsored by
- Mark Warner
- Cosponsors
- - 1 - 1
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The ACCESS Act of 2025 aims to increase competition and make it easier for users to switch between online communications services. It requires large communications platforms with over 100 million U.S. users to allow the secure transfer of user data and maintain interoperability with competing services. The bill also allows users to hire custodial third-party agents to manage their accounts. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is tasked with enforcement and regulation.
Yes· 3 of 18
Does this put more rules on large technology companies?+8
Imposes significant interoperability and data portability requirements on platforms with >100M users.
Does this make it easier to run a small business?+6
Allows smaller competing providers better access to network effects of large platforms.
Would business owners be better off under this?+5
Significant advantage for small tech entrepreneurs competing against giants.
The opposite
Would billionaires be better off under this?-6
Negatively impacts the market dominance and 'moats' of billionaires owning large platforms.
Does this leave more decisions to the states?-2
Includes a preemption clause for state laws that are inconsistent with the Act.
Does this better protect the country from computer attacks?-2
Interoperability interfaces and data porting can create new attack vectors for data breaches.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Easier Data Transfer: Users can move their data from a large platform to themselves or a competitor in a machine-readable format, which reduces the cost of switching services (Section 3(a)).
-
Better Compatibility: Large platforms must maintain interfaces that allow users to communicate with people using different, competing services (Section 4(a)).
-
Account Management Help: Users can delegate a registered third-party agent to manage their content, interactions, and account settings (Section 5(a)).
-
Fair Access: Large platforms must provide competing services with functionally equivalent interfaces to those they use for their own affiliated offerings (Section 4(c)(3)).
-
Data Protections: The bill prohibits large platforms and competing providers from using data obtained through interoperability interfaces for commercial purposes (Section 4(c)(6) and 4(d)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Potential Costs: Large platforms are allowed to charge reasonable fees for access to their resources if certain thresholds of volume or frequency are exceeded (Section 4(c)(2)(B)(i)).
-
Third-Party Fees: Users may be charged a fee by the custodial third-party agents they hire to manage their accounts (Section 5(g)).
-
Security Risks: While the bill requires providers to secure data, the process of porting data and maintaining interoperability interfaces creates points where user data is transmitted between different entities (Section 3(b) and 4(b)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Business Owners+5Good For People With Disabilities+4Good For Young Adults+4Good For Middle Aged+3Good For Middle Class Households+3Good For Retirees+3Good For Seniors+3Good For Students+3Good For High Income Households+2Good For Low Income Households+2Good For Billionaires-6
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Small Business Support+6Improves Consumer Protection+5Increases Job Creation+3Improves Economic Growth+2
- Education And Technology
- Increases Big Tech Regulation+8Improves Data Privacy+4
- Governance And Ideology
- Increases Federal Power+5Improves Privacy Rights+3Increase States Rights-2
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Improves Cybersecurity Defense-2
- 5/7/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
Richard BlumenthalDemocrat · Connecticut
Josh HawleyRepublican · Missouri