TERMS Act
Sponsored By: Representative Goldman (TX)
Introduced
Summary
Transparency about how online platforms restrict accounts. The TERMS Act would require online service providers to publish clear acceptable use policies, give advance written notice before many suspensions or terminations, and produce annual machine-readable enforcement reports.
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- People who use platforms would get clearer rules and advance notice. Providers must disclose acceptable use policies within 180 days and generally give at least 7 days' written notice before restricting an account. Appeals must be available or the policy must state appeals are not permitted.
- Nonprofits, journalists, and small businesses would get detailed annual reports showing total alerts, restrictions taken, the number of appeals and reversals, and which exact policy provisions were cited. Reports start 1 year after enactment and are published annually in both human- and machine-readable formats.
- Platforms would be required to follow the notice, disclosure, and reporting rules and could face enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission, which would issue guidance within 180 days and treat violations as unfair or deceptive acts under the FTC Act.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Annual public reports on account enforcement
If enacted, each covered service would publish a yearly enforcement report starting one year after enactment. It would be open‑licensed, human‑ and machine‑readable, and posted on the public website. The report would show counts of alerts by source, actions taken (terminations, suspensions, limits, warnings), and user appeals and reversals. It would also categorize actions by the exact rule cited and the alert source.
Clear rules and notice before account bans
If enacted, online services would have to post a short, clear acceptable use policy within 180 days. It must list banned actions, how enforcement works (including any third parties), if appeals are allowed, and whether off‑platform conduct counts. It must also explain how the service will give advance notice under this Act. Providers would need to give written notice before suspending or terminating an account. In most cases, they would try in good faith to notify you at least 7 days in advance by email or a notice at login. The notice would say what you did, how it broke the rules, whether you can appeal and how, and offer you the choice to make the notice public on the service’s website. Providers could act without advance notice only for a court order or an imminent risk to life or health, but they would still have to give the required details as soon as possible. Providers must also give users advance notice when they make material changes to these rules.
FTC enforcement and nonbinding guidance
If enacted, breaking these rules would count as an unfair or deceptive practice under the FTC Act. The Federal Trade Commission would enforce the Act with its usual powers and penalties, including for nonprofit providers. Within 180 days, the FTC would issue non‑binding guidance with best practices and examples. Following the guidance could be used as evidence of compliance, but the FTC would enforce only for violations of the Act itself.
Which online services would be covered
If enacted, the bill would define who is covered. A covered online service would require an account or profile, offer an internet‑based product or service, and do business across state or national lines. "Restrict" would mean terminating, suspending, or limiting a user based on a rules violation. A "user" would be anyone who registers an account or creates a profile.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Goldman (TX)
TX • R
Cosponsors
Rep. Weber, Randy K. Sr. [R-TX-14]
TX • R
Sponsored 6/10/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov