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Digital Social Platform Transparency Act
8/22/2024, 3:53 AM
Summary of Bill HR 9126
One of the key provisions of the Digital Social Platform Transparency Act is the requirement for these platforms to disclose information about their algorithms and data collection practices. This would give users a better understanding of how their data is being used and shared on these platforms.
Additionally, the bill aims to address issues related to political advertising on digital social platforms. It would require these platforms to maintain a public database of all political ads, including information about who paid for the ad and who it is targeting. This is intended to prevent foreign interference in US elections and increase transparency in political advertising. Furthermore, the Digital Social Platform Transparency Act includes measures to protect user privacy and prevent the spread of misinformation on these platforms. It would require platforms to implement measures to identify and remove fake accounts and bots, as well as provide users with more control over their personal data. Overall, the Digital Social Platform Transparency Act seeks to hold digital social platforms accountable for their practices and ensure that users have more transparency and control over their online experiences. It is currently being debated in Congress and may undergo revisions before potentially becoming law.
Congressional Summary of HR 9126
Digital Social Platform Transparency Act
This bill requires large digital social platforms, or their parent companies, to make certain public disclosures about platforms' terms of service, responses to content flagged as violating those terms, and content moderation policies. The bill directs digital social platforms to post their terms of service publicly, and such terms must include a description of the mechanisms through which users may report content that violates the terms.
The bill also requires each platform to submit semiannual reports to the Department of Justice (DOJ) that include, among other disclosures
• the platform’s current terms of service;
• a statement of whether and how certain categories of content are defined in the platform’s terms, including hate speech, racism, disinformation, harassment, and foreign political interference;
• a description of the platform’s content moderation policies; and
• reports on flagged violations of the platform’s terms of service and the disposition of any flagged content.
DOJ must make such reports publicly available online. The bill imposes a per-day fine on platforms that fail to report or misrepresent required information.
Under the bill, digital social platforms are defined as internet-based platforms that function primarily to allow users to interact socially by creating and viewing content and which generate more than $100 million in annual gross revenue. Some categories of online platforms are explicitly excluded, including those that primarily facilitate email communications and consumer transactions.
