To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require broadcasting stations, providers of cable and satellite television, and online platforms to make reasonable efforts to ensure that political advertisements are not purchased by a foreign national.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · January 16, 2024
Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
The Block Foreign-Funded Political Ads Act would require television and radio broadcast stations, cable and satellite providers, and major online platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent foreign nationals from purchasing political advertisements. The law applies to any platform with at least 50 million unique monthly U.S. visitors that sells political ads, and it defines political ads broadly to include advertisements about candidates, federal elections, national legislative issues, and state or local ballot measures. To comply, these media outlets and platforms must directly ask purchasers whether they are foreign nationals and verify information like credit card details and billing addresses to confirm ads are not funded by foreigners. The bill establishes a credit card verification standard as one way to demonstrate compliance, requiring disclosure of the card's security code and confirmation that the billing address is in the United States or that the purchaser is a U.S. citizen abroad using their registered voter address. This legislation aims to close potential loopholes that foreign actors could exploit to secretly influence American elections through paid advertising.
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