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119-s-150119th Congress

Combating Cartels on Social Media Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Senator Kelly, Mark [D-AZ]

Introduced

Summary

A coordinated national strategy to stop transnational criminal organizations from using social media to recruit people in the United States and near U.S. borders. The bill would require the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, and State to jointly assess how cartels and other transnational criminal organizations use social media, messaging apps, and interactive platforms and then build a national strategy to counter recruitment and related illicit activities.

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  • Families and youth in border communities would see increased engagement and outreach about recruitment tactics and the dangers of illicit activity, with explicit attention to protecting minors' privacy and civil rights.
  • Federal agencies and law enforcement would be required to complete a joint assessment within 180 days and deliver a national strategy within 1 year, creating formal interagency coordination among DHS, DOJ, and State.
  • Platform operators and privacy advocates would face new definitions of "covered services" such as social media and messaging apps, a proposed voluntary reporting mechanism for recruitment, and a mandated civil rights and privacy assessment to be completed within 2 years.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Federal plan to stop online recruitment

If enacted, DHS, the Justice Department, and the State Department would have to send Congress a national plan within 1 year on stopping cartel and transnational criminal recruitment on social media and apps. They would also have to send a joint assessment to Congress within 180 days about how those services are used for recruitment and other listed crimes. The agencies would be required to consult many federal offices and local border community representatives when making the plan. The strategy could not include policy proposals that depend on laws not yet passed. The bill would not authorize new money to carry out these steps and says it does not expand agencies' enforcement powers.

Who and what the plan covers

If enacted, the bill would define key terms the plan uses. A "covered operator" would mean the operator, developer, or publisher of a covered service. A "covered service" would include social media, certain messaging apps with group chat, and interactive multiuser platforms when DHS finds those services were used by criminal groups. The bill lists which crimes count as "illicit activities," such as drug and weapons trafficking, migrant smuggling, human trafficking, cybercrime, intellectual property crimes, bulk cash smuggling, and money laundering. It also defines "transnational criminal organization" as cross‑border criminal groups using crime, corruption, or violence to gain power or profit.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Kelly, Mark [D-AZ]

AZ • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Lankford, James [R-OK]

    OK • R

    Sponsored 1/17/2025

  • Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC]

    NC • R

    Sponsored 1/17/2025

  • Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ]

    AZ • D

    Sponsored 1/17/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
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