,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #fehg  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,april #ba1 #bjbj,mr4
 ,kinzinger introduced the following    
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on the ,judiciary  ,a ,,bill 
,to prohibit the creation and use of    
fake social media accounts or profiles  
and the sending of fraudulent emails or 
other electronic messages4  #a4 ,short  
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,social ,media ,fraud ,mitigation ,act4 
#b4 ,definitions ,as used in this ,act1 
the following definitions apply3 7#a7   
,the term social media company means any
 individual1 business1 organization1 or 
other similar entity who owns1 manages1 
or operates a social media platform to  
facilitate foreign or interstate        
commerce4  7#b7 ,the term social media  
platform-- 7,a7 means a website or      
internet medium that-- 7i7 permits a    
person to become a registered user1     
establish an account1 or create a       
profile for the purpose of allowing     

users to create1 share1 and view        
user-generated content through such an  
account or profile2  7ii7 enables one or
 more users to generate content that can
 be viewed by other users of the medium2
 and  7iii7 primarily serves as a medium
 for users to interact with content     
generated by other users of the medium2 
and  7,b7 does not include-- 7i7 any    
such platform that serves fewer than    
#ajj1jjj users2  7ii7 an email program1 
message board program1 email            
distribution lists1 multi-person text   
message groups1 or a website that is    
primarily for the purpose of internet   
commerce2  7iii7 a private platform or  
messaging service used by an entity     
solely to communicate with others       
employed by or affiliated with such     
entity2 or  7iv7 an internet-based      
platform whose primary purpose is-- 7,i7
 to allow users to post product reviews1
 business reviews1 travel information   
and reviews2 or  7,,ii7 to provide news 
or entertainment content1 but that may  

also include a comment section for users
 to discuss such news or entertainment4 
#c4 ,criminal offenses related to       
fraudulent social media accounts or     
profiles and fraudulent emails or other 
electronic messages  7a7 ,fraudulent    
accounts or profiles ,whoever causes    
financial or physical harm1 or threatens
 financial or physical harm to any      
individual1 and uses the name or        
likeness of another individual to-- 7#a7
 create or maintain an account or       
profile on a social media platform that 
purports to be an account or profile of 
another individual without the consent  
of the individual whose name or likeness
 is used2 and  7#b7 post or send one or 
more messages on or through an account  
or profile described in paragraph 7#a71 
shall be fined under title #ah1 ,united 
,states ,code1 imprisoned for not more  
than #a year1 or both1 except that if   
the person has previously been convicted
 under this subsection1 such person     
shall be fined under such title1        

imprisoned for not more than #e years1  
or both4  7b7 ,fraudulent emails or     
other electronic messages ,whoever      
causes financial or physical harm1 or   
threatens financial or physical harm to 
any individual1 by sending an email or  
other electronic message that contains  
identifying information belonging to any
 other individual1 including a name1    
domain address1 or phone number-- 7#a7  
without obtaining the other individual's
 consent2 and  7#b7 with the intent to  
cause a reasonable person who is a      
recipient of the email or other         
electronic message to believe that the  
email or electronic message was sent by 
or authorized by the other individual1  
shall be fined under title #ah1 ,united 
,states ,code1 imprisoned for not more  
than #a year1 or both1 except that if   
the person commits the offense with the 
intent to solicit a response by         
emergency personnel1 such person may be 
fined under such title or imprisoned for
 not more than #f years1 or both4