To amend section 230 of the Communications Act of 1934 to limit liability protection under that section for certain social media platforms, and for other purposes.
Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.
Summary
What This Bill Does
The bill creates a duty of care for social media platforms (with 1M+ users) to exercise reasonable care in designing recommendation algorithms to prevent foreseeable bodily injury or death. It relies on compliance mandates, liability protections, and exemptions. The main policy areas are Technology, Finance, Technology & Telecommunications, and Trade.
Who Benefits and How
Email services, messaging apps, videoconferencing platforms (Gmail, WhatsApp, Zoom, Signal, Slack) could face lower compliance burdens, Smaller social media platforms with fewer than 1,000,000 users could face lower compliance burdens, and E-commerce platforms, streaming services, review sites (Amazon, Yelp, Spotify, Netflix) could face lower compliance burdens.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Large social media platforms using recommendation algorithms could face increased risk, Large social media platforms using recommendation algorithms (Meta/Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, X/Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, Snapchat with 1M+ users) would take on compliance duties, and Professional liability insurers covering social media platforms could face higher costs.
Key Provisions
- Creates a duty of care for social media platforms (with 1M+ users) to exercise reasonable care in designing recommendation algorithms to prevent foreseeable bodily injury or death.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
The bill creates a duty of care for social media platforms (with 1M+ users) to exercise reasonable care in designing recommendation algorithms to prevent foreseeable bodily injury or death.
Key Policy Areas
Technology, Finance, Technology & Telecommunications, Trade
Primary Purpose
The bill creates a duty of care for social media platforms (with 1M+ users) to exercise reasonable care in designing recommendation algorithms to prevent foreseeable bodily injury or death.
Policy Domains
Section 2 - Amendment to Communications Act
Identified Gains
- Email services, messaging apps, videoconferencing platforms (Gmail, WhatsApp, Zoom, Signal, Slack)
- Smaller social media platforms with fewer than 1,000,000 users
- E-commerce platforms, streaming services, review sites (Amazon, Yelp, Spotify, Netflix)
- Plaintiffs attorneys specializing in product liability and civil litigation
- AI/ML safety consulting firms providing algorithm auditing services
Identified Costs
- Large social media platforms using recommendation algorithms
- Large social media platforms using recommendation algorithms (Meta/Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, X/Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, Snapchat with 1M+ users)
- Professional liability insurers covering social media platforms
Sponsors
John R. Curtis
R-UT | Primary Sponsor
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Curtis (for himself and Mr. Kelly) introduced the following …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
AI/ML safety consulting firms providing algorithm auditing services, Alternative social media platforms using chronological feeds (Mastodon, Truth Social, platforms without algorithmic recommendations), Email services, messaging apps, videoconferencing platforms (Gmail, WhatsApp, Zoom, Signal, Slack)
Positive-direction: AI/ML safety consulting firms providing algorithm auditing services, Alternative social media platforms using chronological feeds (Mastodon, Truth Social, platforms without algorithmic recommendations), Email services, messaging apps, videoconferencing platforms (Gmail, WhatsApp, Zoom, Signal, Slack), Smaller social media platforms with fewer than 1,000,000 users
Negative-direction: Large social media platforms using recommendation algorithms, Large social media platforms using recommendation algorithms (Meta/Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, X/Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, Snapchat with 1M+ users)
Parents and legal guardians of minors using social media, Social media users harmed by algorithm-driven content (victims of self-harm, violence, or dangerous content)
Professional liability insurers covering social media platforms
Professional liability insurers covering social media platforms faces effects in multiple directions
Plaintiffs attorneys specializing in product liability and civil litigation
E-commerce platforms, streaming services, review sites (Amazon, Yelp, Spotify, Netflix)
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_commission"
- → Federal Communications Commission
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
A fully or partially automated system used to rank, order, promote, recommend, amplify, or similarly curate content based on user's personal data including preferences, interests, behavior, or characteristics
A for-profit interactive computer service with 1M+ users that permits account creation for content sharing and interaction; excludes email, messaging services, teleconferencing, product review sites, e-commerce, streaming services, and news coverage
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology