Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) is introducing a bipartisan bill to bring social media influencers under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
What the Bill Does
Specifically, Rep. Luna's Foreign Propaganda Disclosure Act would amend FARA to list social media influencers, defined as anyone with a monetized social media account on a federally recognized platform, as "publicity agents," and therefore must register as foreign agents.
Concerns that social media influencers are working on behalf of foreign interests have been a topic of interest, and thus the bill seeks to bring transparency to the phenomenon.
What Lawmakers are Saying
"There is a big difference between having an organic opinion and secretly acting on behalf of foreign interests to push propaganda to Americans," said Rep. Luna in a press release. "Foreign adversaries have been actively using disinformation and psychological operations to divide America, erode our national security, and undermine U.S. foreign policy. Americans deserve to know when the voices shaping what they see online are working on behalf of foreign interests."
Rep. Luna continued, "Americans should be able to know when the people shaping conversations online are acting on behalf of foreign interests. The Foreign Propaganda Disclosure Act brings foreign-backed influence operations into the light and sends a clear message that America's public square is not for sale."
Representative Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), one of the bill's cosponsors, said, "Federal law must adapt to an ever-changing digital media landscape, especially as more Americans turn to social media for news consumption and public discourse."
"Our bill increases public transparency around paid partnerships between social media influencers and foreign governments to prevent deceptive practices that may hinder audiences from building a fully informed opinion," Rep. Gonzalez concluded.
Luna's Cyber Bills
In February, Luna introduced the Kids Off Social Media Act, which prohibits social media access to users under 13, and companies must remove and delete the personal data of these accounts. Moreover, companies are prohibited from using the personal data of users under 17 on social media to build algorithms that many have noted are designed to keep users addicted to scrolling.
