Bill > S5051

This bill, the AI AGENT Act of 2026, aims to promote competition and reduce the difficulty consumers face when switching between online services by allowing users to authorize "custodial user agents" to manage their online interactions, electronic commerce decisions, user-generated content, and account settings on large online platforms, which are defined as services with over 50 million customers or subscribers in the U.S. These agents, provided by "custodial user agent providers," must be registered with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and adhere to strict duties, including safeguarding user data, acting in the user's best interest, and not using data for secondary commercial purposes like advertising or profiling. Large online platform providers must offer transparent interfaces for these agents and cannot discriminate against them, ensuring fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms for access, with specific provisions for security and privacy standards, and a process for appealing denied access. The bill also mandates the development of open technical standards for interoperability and verifiable delegation, and the FTC will be responsible for implementing and enforcing these provisions, treating violations as unfair or deceptive practices.