SOCIAL MEDIA Act
Sponsored By: Senator Rick Scott
Introduced
Summary
Standardizes how social platforms communicate with law enforcement and publish uniform reporting on illicit content. This bill would require platforms to build dedicated law-enforcement portals, create an FTC Platform Safety Advisory Committee, set uniform metrics on illicit content and referrals, and make failures enforceable under Federal Trade Commission law.
Show full summary
- Law enforcement: Gets a platform portal with a named lead contact, a U.S.-based 24/7 staffed call center, and clear rules on when users are notified. Platforms must publish the portal within 90 days.
- Platforms: Must file annual public reports with metrics on accounts promoting counterfeit substances or fentanyl, how referrals to law enforcement are handled, average response times to subpoenas, and the average monthly number of 18 U.S.C. 2703(d) subpoenas and search warrants.
- Victims and the public: Gain centralized metrics and platform comparisons overseen by an 11-member FTC Platform Safety Advisory Committee that will recommend and update reporting standards and publish annual comparisons of platforms on illegal content, including trafficking and child exploitation.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
FTC enforcement extends to carriers, nonprofits
If enacted, the bill would let the FTC treat violations of these portal and reporting rules as unfair or deceptive acts under the FTC Act. That enforcement would apply to some common carriers and nonprofit organizations even if they normally have FTC exemptions. The FTC could use its usual penalties, procedures, and powers to enforce the rules.
FTC Platform Safety committee and reports
If enacted, the bill would create an 11-member FTC Platform Safety Advisory Committee. The Chair must appoint members as soon as possible. The committee would pick standard metrics to measure illegal content and platform cooperation with law enforcement. It must publish a public comparative report within 1 year of enactment and then every year. The FTC would review the committee's recommendations within 30 days, issue guidance within 90 days, and require platforms to start public metric reports within 180 days after that guidance. Required metrics would include counts of accounts tied to counterfeit drugs or fentanyl (separating user reports from platform detections), referral practices, average monthly orders and warrants, and response times to subpoenas.
Platform law enforcement portals required
If enacted, each social media platform would need to create a law-enforcement portal and put a link on its homepage within 90 days of enactment. The portal would name the platform's lead law-enforcement contact, give a U.S.-based 24/7 staffed phone number and an email for law enforcement, explain when users get notice about investigations, and list any third-party vendor that handles law-enforcement compliance.
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Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Rick Scott
FL • R
Cosponsors
Jeanne Shaheen
NH • D
Sponsored 2/19/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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