COVID–19 Dis­in­for­ma­tion Research and Reporting Act of 2020

II 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION S. 4732 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 SEPTEMBER 24, 2020 Ms. HIRONO (for herself, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Ms. WARREN, and Mr. REED) 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 Disinfor- 4 mation Research and Reporting Act of 2020’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6 Congress finds the following: 7 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:27 Oct 16, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4732.IS S4732 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •S 4732 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) COVID–19-related disinformation has been 17 weaponized by foreign adversaries, including Russia, 18 China, and Iran, through the use of fake social 19 media accounts and bot networks to amplify content. 20 (6) Understanding the financial incentives for 21 entities spreading and amplifying disinformation and 22 misinformation can help to combat its distribution. 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:27 Oct 16, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4732.IS S4732 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •S 4732 IS SEC. 3. SCIENCE STUDY ON COVID–19-RELATED DISINFOR- 1 MATION AND MISINFORMATION. 2 (a) STUDY.—Not later than 30 days after the date 3 of enactment of this Act, the Director of the National 4 Science Foundation shall enter into an arrangement with 5 the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and 6 Medicine to conduct a study on the current understanding 7 of the spread of COVID–19-related disinformation and 8 misinformation on the internet and social media plat- 9 forms. The study shall address— 10 (1) the roles disinformation and misinformation 11 have played in the public response to COVID–19; 12 (2) the sources, both foreign and domestic, of 13 COVID–19-related disinformation and misinforma- 14 tion, and the mechanisms by which that disinforma- 15 tion and misinformation influence the public debate; 16 (3) the role social media plays in the dissemina- 17 tion and promotion of COVID–19-related disinfor- 18 mation and misinformation content and the role so- 19 cial media platforms play in the organization of 20 groups seeking to spread COVID–19-related disin- 21 formation and misinformation; 22 (4) the potential financial returns for creators 23 or distributors of COVID–19-related disinformation 24 and misinformation and the role such financial in- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:27 Oct 16, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4732.IS S4732 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •S 4732 IS centives play in the propagation of COVID–19-re- 1 lated disinformation and misinformation; 2 (5) potential strategies to mitigate the dissemi- 3 nation and negative impacts of COVID–19-related 4 disinformation and misinformation (and specifically 5 the dissemination of disinformation and misinforma- 6 tion on social media), including through improved 7 disclosures and addressing information literacy; and 8 (6) an analysis of— 9 (A) the limitations of the mitigation strate- 10 gies described in paragraph (5); and 11 (B) how the strategies can be implemented 12 without infringing on the constitutional rights 13 and civil liberties of the people of the United 14 States. 15 (b) REPORT.—In entering into an arrangement under 16 this section, the Director of the National Science Founda- 17 tion shall request that the National Academies of Sciences, 18 Engineering, and Medicine transmit to Congress a report 19 on the results of the study not later than 1 year after 20 the date of enactment of this Act. 21 (c) AUTHORIZATION.—There is authorized to be ap- 22 propriated, for the purposes of conducting the study under 23 this section, $1,000,000. 24 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:27 Oct 16, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S4732.IS S4732 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS