What This Bill Does
This bill prohibits individuals and organizations from receiving Federal funds if they do business with social media companies based in certain countries. The bill lists six countries as countries of concern: China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and Venezuela.
Who It Affects
Individuals, businesses, and governmental entities that receive Federal funds and have agreements or advertising relationships with social media companies from the listed countries.
Key Provisions
• No individual or entity may receive Federal funds if they have an agreement, partnership, or advertising relationship with a social media company based in a country of concern (Sec. 2(a))
• The bill defines "country of concern" as the People's Republic of China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and Venezuela (Sec. 2(b)(1))
• A social media company is defined as an entity operating a website, desktop application, or mobile application that allows users to create accounts, share user-generated content (content created by users rather than professionals), sell digital advertising, has over 1 million monthly active users, and allows users to view other users' content (Sec. 2(b)(3)(A))
What Changes
From the date the law takes effect, organizations doing business with social media companies from the listed countries lose eligibility to receive Federal funds.
Important Definitions
"Country of concern": China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and Venezuela. "Entity": Includes governmental entities. "Social media company": A company operating a website or app that lets users create accounts, share content, and view others' content, sells digital ads, and has over 1 million monthly active users (excluding review or emergency alert apps).
Effective Date
On or after the date of enactment (Sec. 2(a))
II
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 875
To prohibit the receipt of Federal funds by individuals or entities conducting
business with social media companies associated with countries of con-
cern, and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
MARCH 16, 2023
Mr. RUBIO (for himself and Ms. ERNST) introduced the following bill; which
was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation
A BILL
To prohibit the receipt of Federal funds by individuals or
entities conducting business with social media companies
associated with countries of concern, and for other pur-
poses.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘No Funds for Enablers
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of Adversarial Propaganda Act’’.
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•S 875 IS
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON RECEIPT OF FEDERAL FUNDS
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FOR PERSONS CONDUCTING BUSINESS WITH
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SOCIAL
MEDIA
COMPANIES
ASSOCIATED
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WITH COUNTRIES OF CONCERN.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—On or after the date of the enact-
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ment of this Act, no individual or entity may receive Fed-
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eral funds if that individual or entity has in place any
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agreement, partnership, or advertising relationship with a
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social media company domiciled in, headquartered in, or-
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ganized under the laws of, or whose principal place of busi-
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ness is located in a country of concern.
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(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
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(1) COUNTRY OF CONCERN.—The term ‘‘coun-
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try of concern’’ means the People’s Republic of
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China (including the Special Administrative Regions
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of China, including Hong Kong and Macau), Russia,
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Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and Venezuela.
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(2) ENTITY.—The term ‘‘entity’’ includes a
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governmental entity.
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(3) SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANY.—The term ‘‘social
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media company’’—
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(A) means any entity that operates, di-
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rectly or indirectly, including through its parent
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company, subsidiaries, or affiliates, a website,
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desktop application, or mobile application
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that—
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•S 875 IS
(i) permits an individual or entity to
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create an account or profile for the pur-
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pose of generating, sharing, and viewing
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user-generated content through such ac-
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count or profile;
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(ii) sells digital advertising space;
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(iii) has more than 1,000,000 monthly
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active users for a majority of months dur-
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ing the preceding 12 months;
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(iv) enables one or more users to gen-
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erate content that can be viewed by other
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users of the website, desktop application,
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or mobile application; and
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(v) enables users to view content gen-
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erated by other users of the website, desk-
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top application, or mobile application; and
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(B) does not include an entity if the entity
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does not operate a website, desktop application,
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or mobile application except for a website, desk-
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top application, or mobile application the pri-
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mary purpose of which is—
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(i) to allow users to post product re-
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views, business reviews, or travel informa-
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tion and reviews; or
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•S 875 IS
(ii) to provide emergency alert serv-
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ices.
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Æ
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