Bill Overview
Title: Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act
Description: This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to annually publish a list of entities that hold a license or other authorization granted by the FCC and have ties to specified foreign countries. An entity must be listed if China, Iran, North Korea, or Russia (or organizations subject to the jurisdictions of those governments) owns 10% or more of the entity.
Sponsors: Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21]
Target Audience
Population: Global citizens using telecommunications services
Estimated Size: 270000000
- People concerned about national security will be impacted due to increased transparency in communications ownership.
- Individuals involved in any telecommunications company or organization may be indirectly affected by transparency expectations and regulatory compliance.
- Citizens relying on telecommunications services may experience changes in service providers if companies are impacted by foreign ties regulations.
- Researchers and analysts studying foreign influence on American infrastructure may also be impacted by the new publicly available data.
- Entities or individuals involved in international business with the listed foreign adversaries may need to reassess their business partnerships and strategies.
- US governmental and policy-making bodies will use this information to draft further regulations or strategies.
Reasoning
- The policy primarily affects individuals working in telecommunications, national security, and related fields. It could also indirectly influence consumers who use telecommunications services from companies with foreign ownership ties.
- A large segment of the U.S. population uses telecommunications services daily, but the direct impact may be confined mainly to those with specific concern over national security or business interests related to the listed countries.
- Budget constraints indicate that the policy needs to effectively reach influential sectors with the allocated funding to ensure monitoring and compliance without causing significant disruptions in service.
- Researchers and policy analysts will benefit from increased data for evaluating foreign economic influence, thus directly influencing the national security discourse.
- Considering the relatively modest budget compared to the entire telecommunications infrastructure in the U.S., the policy likely focuses on critical and strategic compliance monitoring.
Simulated Interviews
Telecommunications Engineer (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 34 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's crucial for national security to know how much influence foreign entities have in our telecommunications sector.
- The policy might cause some disruption initially, but it's manageable given the potential security benefits.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Policy Analyst (New York, NY)
Age: 47 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This kind of transparency is overdue. It will help understand and potentially mitigate foreign influence risks.
- The access to this data could be transformative for research and policy development.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Small Business Owner (Dallas, TX)
Age: 29 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm worried about the regulatory costs and what it means for small businesses like mine.
- The added transparency might help us in the long run, but it's a financial strain short term.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Government Official (Washington, D.C.)
Age: 54 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 9
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy creates a foundation for more robust national security protocols.
- It's essential to evaluate how foreign ties influence our telecommunications infrastructure.
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 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Telecommunications Customer Service Representative (Miami, FL)
Age: 41 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 18/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hear from customers who are concerned about privacy and security. This policy might reassure them.
- There might be more calls to handle if public concern rises due to news coverage.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Retired Military Officer (Austin, TX)
Age: 60 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Maintaining transparency on foreign-owned entities aligns with national security interests.
- While retired, I still keep an eye on how these policies unfold.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Consumer Advocate (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 38 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Transparency is what we've been asking for. Consumers deserve to know who owns the companies they rely on.
- This policy might be a step toward broader consumer rights in telecom.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Graduate Student (Chicago, IL)
Age: 26 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 6.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This could provide valuable case study data for my research.
- Understanding the nuances of foreign influence is increasingly important for policy analysts.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Software Developer (Seattle, WA)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Any policy increasing transparency is beneficial for developing more secure software solutions.
- We need to know all parties potentially accessing or influencing the infrastructure we work on.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Public School Teacher (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 32 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This information could be useful for civic lessons and increasing student awareness of national security issues.
- It's important that students understand the real-world impact of foreign business influences.
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 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $15000000 (Low: $10000000, High: $20000000)
Year 2: $15000000 (Low: $10000000, High: $20000000)
Year 3: $15000000 (Low: $10000000, High: $20000000)
Year 5: $15000000 (Low: $10000000, High: $20000000)
Year 10: $15000000 (Low: $10000000, High: $20000000)
Year 100: $15000000 (Low: $10000000, High: $20000000)
Key Considerations
- The scope of the entities that would be impacted is specific, potentially limiting broader economic implications.
- Entities might restructure ownership to avoid restrictions, leading to strategic shifts in business approaches.