summary
Introduced
07/30/2019
07/30/2019
In Committee
07/30/2019
07/30/2019
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
12/31/2020
12/31/2020
Introduced Session
116th Congress
Bill Summary
A bill to prohibit social media companies from using practices that exploit human psychology or brain physiology to substantially impede freedom of choice, to require social media companies to take measures to mitigate the risks of internet addiction and psychological exploitation, and for other purposes. This bill requires social media companies to structure their platforms in a manner calculated to reduce the risks of internet addiction. The bill prohibits social media companies from using infinite scroll, auto refill, and autoplay functions and restricts them from giving users awards for higher levels of engagement. The bill further instructs social media companies to automatically limit users' time spent on their platforms across all devices to a default of 30 minutes per day and to implement regular stopping points designed to end scrolling after 3 minutes. Social media companies are also charged to conspicuously display a notification at least twice an hour showing users how much time they have spent on the platform that day.
AI Summary
This bill, the Social Media Addiction Reduction Technology (SMART) Act, aims to prohibit social media companies from using practices that exploit human psychology or brain physiology to substantially impede freedom of choice. The bill requires social media companies to structure their platforms in a way that reduces the risks of internet addiction. It prohibits the use of features like infinite scroll, auto-refill, and autoplay, and restricts awards for higher engagement levels. The bill also mandates that social media companies automatically limit users' daily time on the platforms to 30 minutes and provide regular notifications about users' time spent on the platforms. Additionally, the bill gives the Federal Trade Commission temporary joint rulemaking authority with the Department of Health and Human Services to further address practices that interfere with consumer freedom of choice, and it allows state attorneys general to enforce the bill's provisions.
Committee Categories
Transportation and Infrastructure
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (on 07/30/2019)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/2314/all-info |
| BillText | https://www.congress.gov/116/bills/s2314/BILLS-116s2314is.pdf |
| Bill | https://www.congress.gov/116/bills/s2314/BILLS-116s2314is.pdf.pdf |
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