COVID–19 Disinformation Research and Reporting Act of 2021

II 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 913 To conduct a study on the spread of COVID–19-related disinformation and misinformation on the internet and social media platforms, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES MARCH 23, 2021 Ms. HIRONO (for herself, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. REED, and Ms. WARREN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To conduct a study on the spread of COVID–19-related disinformation and misinformation on the internet and social media platforms, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘COVID–19 4 Disinformation Research and Reporting Act of 2021’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6 Congress finds the following: 7 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:21 Apr 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S913.IS S913 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •S 913 IS (1) The National Academies of Sciences, Engi- 1 neering, and Medicine and the National Science 2 Foundation have provided scientific, evidence-based 3 findings and foundational research, across all dis- 4 ciplines, that benefit the people of the United States. 5 (2) Accurate and reliable information is impera- 6 tive for health and safety during a national emer- 7 gency like the COVID–19 pandemic. 8 (3) Disinformation and misinformation have 9 spread alarmingly during the COVID–19 pandemic, 10 hindering the public response efforts of Federal, 11 State, local, and indigenous leaders. 12 (4) The internet and social media have made it 13 easier to spread fake medical information, such as 14 unproven treatments for COVID–19, or inaccurate 15 information that undermines scientific experts. 16 (5) The internet and social media have likewise 17 made it easier to spread disinformation and misin- 18 formation about the safety and efficacy of COVID– 19 19 vaccines, impacting public acceptance of the vac- 20 cines and threatening to prolong the pandemic. 21 (6) COVID–19-related disinformation has been 22 weaponized by foreign adversaries, including Russia, 23 China, and Iran, through the use of fake social 24 media accounts and bot networks to amplify content. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:21 Apr 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S913.IS S913 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •S 913 IS (7) Understanding the financial incentives for 1 entities spreading and amplifying disinformation and 2 misinformation can help to combat its distribution. 3 SEC. 3. SCIENCE STUDY ON COVID–19-RELATED 4 DISINFORMATION AND MISINFORMATION. 5 (a) STUDY.—Not later than 30 days after the date 6 of enactment of this Act, the Director of the National 7 Science Foundation shall enter into an arrangement with 8 the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and 9 Medicine to conduct a study on the current understanding 10 of the spread of COVID–19-related disinformation and 11 misinformation on the internet and social media plat- 12 forms. The study shall address— 13 (1) the roles disinformation and misinformation 14 have played in the public response to COVID–19, in- 15 cluding public acceptance of and demand for 16 COVID–19 vaccines; 17 (2) the sources, both foreign and domestic, of 18 COVID–19-related disinformation and misinforma- 19 tion, and the mechanisms by which that 20 disinformation and misinformation influence the 21 public debate; 22 (3) the role social media plays in the dissemina- 23 tion and promotion of COVID–19-related 24 disinformation and misinformation content and the 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:21 Apr 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S913.IS S913 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 4 •S 913 IS role social media platforms play in the organization 1 of groups seeking to spread COVID–19-related 2 disinformation and misinformation; 3 (4) the potential financial returns for creators 4 or distributors of COVID–19-related disinformation 5 and misinformation and the role such financial in- 6 centives play in the propagation of COVID–19-re- 7 lated disinformation and misinformation; 8 (5) potential strategies to mitigate the dissemi- 9 nation and negative impacts of COVID–19-related 10 disinformation and misinformation (and specifically 11 the dissemination of disinformation and misinforma- 12 tion on social media), including through improved 13 disclosures and addressing information literacy; and 14 (6) an analysis of— 15 (A) the limitations of the mitigation strate- 16 gies described in paragraph (5); and 17 (B) how the strategies can be implemented 18 without infringing on the constitutional rights 19 and civil liberties of the people of the United 20 States. 21 (b) REPORT.—In entering into an arrangement under 22 this section, the Director of the National Science Founda- 23 tion shall request that the National Academies of Sciences, 24 Engineering, and Medicine transmit to Congress a report 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:21 Apr 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S913.IS S913 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 5 •S 913 IS on the results of the study not later than 1 year after 1 the date of enactment of this Act. 2 (c) AUTHORIZATION.—There is authorized to be ap- 3 propriated, for the purposes of conducting the study under 4 this section, $1,000,000. 5 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:21 Apr 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S913.IS S913 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS