PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jun 25, 2018
Bot Disclosure and Accountability Act of 2018
This bill directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to promulgate regulations to require social media providers to establish and implement policies and procedures to require their user to publicly disclose the use of any automated software program or process intended to impersonate or replicate human activity online. A violation of such regulations shall be treated as an unfair or deceptive act or practice under the Federal Trade Commission Act.
The bill amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit a candidate or political party from: (1) using any automated software programs or processes intended to impersonate or replicate human activity online to make, amplify, share, or otherwise disseminate any public communication; or (2) soliciting, accepting, purchasing, or selling any automated software programs or processes intended to impersonate or replicate human activity online for any purpose.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
No political committee, corporation, or labor organization may: (1) use or cause to be used any automated software programs or processes intended to impersonate or replicate human activity online to disseminate any message that expressly advocates for the election or defeat of a candidate; or (2) solicit, accept, purchase or sell any such programs or processes for any such purpose. This prohibition shall not apply to internal or administrative systems not oriented or accessible to the public.
People & committees
Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA] · D–CA
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.
Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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