HR6253-119

What This Bill Does

The Algorithmic Transparency and Choice Act requires covered online platforms, beginning one year after enactment, to tell covered users when a personalized recommendation system selects content, explain in clear terms what features, inputs, parameters, user-specific data, opt-out choices, profile controls, and optimization objectives drive the system, and update terms when material changes occur. Platforms must let covered users switch between the personalized recommendation system and an input-transparent algorithm, limit recommendation categories, and receive an input-transparent algorithm as the default setting. Violations are treated as FTC unfair-or-deceptive-act rule violations. The FTC enforces the requirements under its existing powers, while the bill preserves trade secrets, confidential business information, privileged information, and user-directed blocking or community-access restrictions.

Who Benefits and How

Minor covered users and their parents benefit from clearer notice, default non-personalized or input-transparent ranking, and controls over recommendation categories. Consumer advocates benefit from FTC-enforceable transparency duties for algorithmic feeds. Competing services that already offer transparent or chronological feeds may benefit if dominant platforms must offer comparable choices.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Covered online platforms must redesign notices, terms, recommendation controls, default settings, data explanations, and compliance systems within one year. The Federal Trade Commission must enforce violations as unfair or deceptive acts or practices. Recommendation-system vendors and platform product teams may bear engineering, legal, and documentation burdens while protecting trade secrets and confidential information.

Key Provisions

• Requires covered online platforms to provide clear notices when personalized recommendation systems select content for covered users.
• Requires platform terms to explain essential ranking features, data categories, controls, optimization objectives, and material changes.
• Requires an easy switch between personalized recommendation systems and input-transparent algorithms.
• Requires input-transparent algorithms to be the default setting for covered users and lets users limit recommendation categories.
• Makes violations enforceable by the FTC as unfair or deceptive act or practice rule violations while preserving trade-secret and confidential-business protections.