Bill · S. 626· Senate(119-S-626)
SOCIAL MEDIA Act
- Introduced
- 2/19/2025
- Last activity
- 2/19/2025 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Sponsored by
- Rick Scott
- Cosponsors
- - 0 - 1
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the SOCIAL MEDIA Act, aims to improve communication between social media platforms and law enforcement agencies. It requires platforms to establish a law enforcement portal with clear contact information and policy details regarding investigations. The legislation also creates the FTC Platform Safety Advisory Committee to develop uniform metrics for reporting illegal content and platform responsiveness. These metrics will cover issues such as the promotion of counterfeit substances or fentanyl and the handling of subpoenas or search warrants. Finally, the bill grants the Federal Trade Commission authority to enforce these requirements.
Yes· 3 of 5
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?+5
The bill mandates annual public reports from social media platforms regarding their monitoring of illegal content.
Does this do more about addiction and overdose deaths?+5
The bill requires platforms to report on the promotion of counterfeit substances and fentanyl to aid law enforcement.
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?+4
The bill increases transparency regarding how social media platforms handle law enforcement investigations and illegal content.
The opposite
Would business owners be better off under this?-4
Social media companies will face new technical requirements and potential FTC penalties for non-compliance.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Improved Law Enforcement Access: Platforms must create a dedicated law enforcement portal that includes a 24/7 United States-based call center and clear contact information for investigators (Section 2).
-
Increased Transparency for Users: The bill requires platforms to provide clear policy information regarding whether and when users are notified of law enforcement investigations (Section 2(b)(3)).
-
Better Tracking of Illicit Content: The establishment of an Advisory Committee will help develop metrics to track how platforms monitor or remove illegal content, such as the promotion of counterfeit substances or fentanyl (Section 3(a)(1)(B)).
-
Public Oversight of Platform Activity: The Advisory Committee is tasked with publishing an annual report that allows the public to compare how different social media platforms are performing regarding the metrics established (Section 3(a)(3)(A)(ii)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Potential Burdens on Platforms: Social media platforms are required to implement new technical structures, such as the law enforcement portal and annual reporting systems (Section 2 and Section 3(c)).
-
Risk of Penalties for Non-compliance: Violations of the requirements regarding law enforcement portals or reporting metrics can be treated as unfair or deceptive acts or practices, making them subject to FTC enforcement and penalties (Section 4(a)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+5
- Healthcare
- Improves Opioid Crisis Response+5
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Business Owners-4
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Consumer Protection+4
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Policing Reform+3
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Improves Cybersecurity Defense+2
- 2/19/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
Jeanne ShaheenDemocrat · New Hampshire