Bot Disclosure and Accountability Act of 2019

This bill requires social media providers to establish and implement policies that require their users to publicly disclose the use of any automated software program or process intended to impersonate or replicate human activity (i.e., bots) on the provider’s social media website. Social media providers also must establish processes for identifying and removing the online activity of a user or profile making use of an automated software program that intended to impersonate or replicate human activity online and does not comply with the disclosure requirements.

In addition, political candidates and political parties are prohibited from using automated software programs for public communications and from soliciting, accepting, purchasing, or selling such programs. Further, political committees, corporations, and labor organizations are prohibited from using automated software programs to communicate messages that advocate for the election or defeat of a candidate or in any other electioneering communication.