Bill > S3292

This bill establishes a comprehensive framework for independent researchers to access and study data from large internet platforms while maintaining strict privacy and security protections. The National Science Foundation (NSF) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) would jointly administer a research program that allows qualified researchers from U.S. universities and nonprofits to request access to platform data for non-commercial, public interest research projects. Platforms with at least 50 million monthly U.S. users would be required to provide carefully selected data under rigorous privacy safeguards, such as encryption and data anonymization. The bill creates a detailed approval process for research projects, including review by an institutional review board, and mandates that platforms cannot restrict researcher access without reasonable cause. Researchers would be prohibited from re-identifying individuals or using data for commercial purposes, with potential civil and criminal penalties for violations. Additionally, the bill requires platforms to provide ongoing transparency about content, advertising, algorithms, and content moderation through public repositories and regular reports. The legislation aims to enable independent research into digital platforms' societal impacts while protecting user privacy and preventing potential misuse of data, with the FTC given broad enforcement authority to implement and oversee the program.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3292/all-info