PRESERVE Online Speech Act

Bill: 117-s-2500
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Rubio, Marco [R-FL]
Introduced: 2021-07-28
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Latest action: action_date: 2021-07-28
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-07-28
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Preventing Restrictions and Empowering Speakers to Enable Robust and Varied Exchanges in Online Speech or the PRESERVE Online Speech Act</b></p> <p>This bill requires interactive computer services (e.g., social media companies) to issue a public disclosure containing specified information related to a request or recommendation by a government entity that the service moderate content on its platform. Examples of such moderation include eliminating the ability of a user to comment upon information or terminating or limiting a user's account.</p> <p>Failure to comply with this requirement shall result in a fine of $50,000 per day, which shall be deposited in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund. The Federal Communications Commission must submit an annual report that includes the contents of each such public disclosure. </p>

tv_txt: II 117th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 2500 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 28, 2021 Mr. Rubio (for himself, Mr. Scott of Florida , Mr. Hagerty , Ms. Lummis , and Mr. Johnson ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation A BILL To require providers of interactive computer services to publicly disclose information relating to requests or recommendations made by government entities to moderate content, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Preventing Restrictions and Empowering Speakers to Enable Robust and Varied Exchanges in Online Speech or the PRESERVE Online Speech Act . 2. Public disclosure of request or recommendation to moderate content (a) Definitions In this section— (1) the term Commission means the Federal Communications Commission; (2) the term government entity means— (A) a United States or foreign government entity; and (B) an entity acting on behalf of an entity described in subparagraph (A); and (3) the terms information content provider and interactive computer service have the meanings given those terms in section 230 of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 230 ). (b) Requirement To disclose Except as provided in subsection (c), not later than 7 days after the date on which a government entity requests or recommends that a provider of an interactive computer service moderate content on the interactive computer service, including editing, deleting, throttling, limiting the reach of, reducing or eliminating the ability of an information content provider to earn revenue from, or comment upon, information provided by an information content provider, terminating or limiting an account or usership, and any other content moderation, promotion, and other curation practices, the provider shall issue a public disclosure on a public website hosted by the provider that includes— (1) specific information about the request or recommendation; (2) the government entity that made the request or recommendation and the point of contact for that government entity; (3) the rationale for the request or recommendation; and (4) any steps taken by the provider as a result of the request or recommendation. (c) Exception Subsection (b) shall not apply with respect to actions taken by a provider of an interactive computer service as a result of a Federal law enforcement proceeding or is in the interest of national security. (d) Fines for noncompliance Any provider of an interactive computer service that does not comply with the requirements under subsection (b) shall be fined $50,000 per day of noncompliance, which fines shall be collected by the Commission for deposit in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund. (e) Annual report The Commission shall, on an annual basis, compile and submit to the Committees on the Judiciary of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report that includes the contents of each public disclosure made by a provider of an interactive computer service under subsection (b) during the year covered by the report.