Bill Overview
Title: China Social Media Reciprocity Act
Description: This bill authorizes the President to impose sanctions by requiring social media companies to block certain individuals and entities from using the company's social media services. The bill also requires the President to impose such sanctions on certain individuals and entities, including those that a social media company knows or should have known are (1) on the Office of Foreign Asset Control's list of specially designated nationals and blocked persons, (2) senior officials in China's government, or (3) agents or instrumentalities of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) or China's government. The President may waive such sanctions if the President certifies to Congress that the CCP and China's government have removed all prohibitions on U.S. government officials participating in social media platforms in China.
Sponsors: Rep. Mast, Brian J. [R-FL-18]
Target Audience
Population: Individuals using social media platforms globally
Estimated Size: 240000000
- The sanctions target individuals and entities associated with senior officials in China's government, Chinese Communist Party agents, or those on the US's list of specially designated nationals and blocked persons.
- Social media companies would need to enforce these sanctions, impacting their global operations and compliance mechanisms.
- Users of Chinese social media platforms in China and globally could be impacted if account access is restricted due to affiliations with sanctioned individuals or entities.
Reasoning
- The policy specifically targets senior officials in China's government and CCP agents, which means the majority of US citizens will not be directly impacted, hence a larger pool of people with 'low' or 'none' impact.
- US-based social media companies must comply, which might result in operational changes and increased expenses for these companies, potentially impacting their users.
- Some Americans who directly interact with Chinese social media or business entities might experience more significant changes, hence why we include some individuals with 'medium' or 'high' impact.
- By simulating interviews from various US demographics, including those unimpacted and indirectly impacted, we illustrate a cross-section of how policy might unfold in real-world social fabric.
- With the budget and estimated target population in mind, the significant direct financial impact on citizens is unlikely, whereas operational or indirect interaction impacts may occur.
Simulated Interviews
Software Engineer (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 32 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I understand the need for security, but this might disrupt international collaboration.
- The compliance costs might trickle down to employees.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 9 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 9 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 9 |
Financial Analyst (Chicago, IL)
Age: 29 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Blocking some accounts may make my job harder.
- I support security measures if they are necessary.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 9 |
Senior Compliance Officer (New York, NY)
Age: 41 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This will add more layers to compliance but it's part of the job.
- The challenge is ensuring fairness in who gets blocked.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 8 |
Student (Austin, TX)
Age: 23 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope educational content isn't restricted.
- It might be difficult for international students.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 9 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 9 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 9 |
Retired Engineer (Buffalo, NY)
Age: 65 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 9
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I rarely interact with these platforms, so I don't see an impact to me.
- It's important to secure our networks, though.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 9 |
International Business Consultant (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This might complicate my networking.
- I understand the importance but it could disrupt business ties.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 9 |
Teacher (Seattle, WA)
Age: 37 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I don't envision much change for myself.
- I hope it's administered wisely.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 9 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 9 |
Warehouse Manager (Dallas, TX)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I don't think it will really affect how I use my accounts.
- It's good that they are keeping track of threats.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Government Contractor (Houston, TX)
Age: 54 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- There might be more hoops to jump through, but that's nothing new.
- We need to protect our communications integrity.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 9 |
Freelance Writer (Miami, FL)
Age: 60 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This might limit my sources and viewpoints.
- I see the need for such measures but hope they don't overreach.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $300000000 (Low: $250000000, High: $350000000)
Year 2: $300000000 (Low: $250000000, High: $350000000)
Year 3: $310000000 (Low: $260000000, High: $360000000)
Year 5: $320000000 (Low: $270000000, High: $370000000)
Year 10: $340000000 (Low: $290000000, High: $390000000)
Year 100: $400000000 (Low: $350000000, High: $450000000)
Key Considerations
- Potential retaliatory actions by China that could impact the U.S. economy.
- The substantial compliance cost for social media firms that could decrease their profitability.
- Complexities in identifying and maintaining the list of sanctioned individuals and entities.