Overview

Title

To direct the Federal Communications Commission to provide an online tool that uses artificial intelligence to identify likely scams for the public, and for other purposes.

ELI5 AI

The "SCAM Platform Act" is a plan for the government to make a special computer helper that can tell people if an email or text message might be a trick to steal their money or information. This helper will use super-smart thinking to figure out if something is a bad idea.

Summary AI

H. R. 10212, known as the "Spam Communication Assessment and Mitigation Platform Act" or "SCAM Platform Act," aims to make it easier for the public to recognize scams. The bill directs the Federal Communications Commission to create an online tool within a year of the bill's enactment that uses artificial intelligence to help people identify potential scams. This tool will evaluate different types of communications, such as emails and text messages, and provide a rating indicating the likelihood of them being scams. The goal is to assist individuals in identifying fraudulent schemes that attempt to trick people into giving money or personal information.

Published

2024-11-21
Congress: 118
Session: 2
Chamber: HOUSE
Status: Introduced in House
Date: 2024-11-21
Package ID: BILLS-118hr10212ih

Keywords AI

scam platform act federal communications commission artificial intelligence scam identification online tool fraud detection data privacy communication assessment h. r. 10212 118th congress

Sources

Bill Statistics

Size

Sections:
2
Words:
407
Pages:
3
Sentences:
14

Language

Nouns: 127
Verbs: 34
Adjectives: 22
Adverbs: 4
Numbers: 15
Entities: 29

Complexity

Average Token Length:
4.46
Average Sentence Length:
29.07
Token Entropy:
4.69
Readability (ARI):
17.57

AnalysisAI

The proposed legislation, known as the SCAM Platform Act, is aimed at equipping the public with a tool to combat scams more effectively. Under this Act, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is tasked with developing an online tool that employs artificial intelligence to assess and identify likely scams from various types of submissions, such as emails, text messages, and other digital or physical communications. This tool will then provide a scoring system indicating the probability of the message being a scam.

General Summary of the Bill

The core purpose of the bill is to address the growing issue of communication-based scams by leveraging technology and artificial intelligence. By enabling individuals to submit potentially fraudulent communications for analysis, the Act seeks to reduce the susceptibility of the public to these scams. The introduction of this Act shows recognition of the need to equip citizens with more advanced tools in the fight against deceptive practices that exploit technology.

Summary of Significant Issues

  1. Ambitious Timeline: The bill mandates that the FCC implements this tool within one year of enactment. This timeline is viewed as ambitious, as developing a sophisticated AI tool requires extensive research, testing, and refinement to ensure it meets its intended purpose effectively.

  2. Funding and Resources: The bill does not specify the financial resources or budget necessary for the development and deployment of the AI tool. This omission raises concerns about the practicality and sustainability of the project, especially given the complexity and potential cost involved.

  3. Technological Challenges: Another issue highlighted is the technological challenge of creating a tool that can accurately assess various formats of communication. Ensuring that the tool can process email, text messages, web links, and scanned documents effectively may pose significant implementation difficulties.

  4. Clarity on Definitions: The term "artificial intelligence" as used in the bill refers to an existing legal definition in another document. This reference could create confusion for those not familiar with that legislation, suggesting a need for clearer, more immediate explanation within the bill itself.

  5. Data Privacy Concerns: The bill does not address how user-submitted data will be handled, stored, or protected. This is a critical oversight, as submissions are likely to contain sensitive personal information that requires strict data privacy safeguards.

Impact on the Public

If successfully implemented, this legislation could significantly benefit the public by providing a proactive tool for scam prevention. This aligns with a broader societal need to enhance cybersecurity measures and protect individuals from fraudulent activities. Making such a tool publicly available increases accessibility to scam detection resources, potentially reducing the number of successful scams and, hence, financial loss for individuals.

Impact on Specific Stakeholders

  • Federal Communications Commission (FCC): The FCC is directly impacted as it is responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining this AI tool. The task demands significant technological investment and expertise, which may strain its resources unless properly funded.

  • General Public: Individuals stand to benefit from an additional layer of protection against scams. However, it's essential for users to fully understand this tool's capabilities and limitations to use it effectively.

  • Privacy Advocates: Without explicit guidelines on data protection within the bill, privacy advocates may express concern over how personal data will be safeguarded, urging for more robust privacy measures.

  • Technology Sector: Companies specializing in AI and cybersecurity might find opportunities in collaborating or contracting with the FCC to create the scam identification tool, potentially driving innovation and business growth in these areas.

Overall, the SCAM Platform Act represents a forward-thinking approach to modern issues surrounding digital communication and fraud. However, successful enactment requires careful consideration of both implementation challenges and privacy concerns to truly benefit and protect its intended beneficiaries.

Issues

  • The timeline for implementation of the scam identification tool, set at 1 year after enactment in Section 2(a), may be too ambitious, potentially leading to issues of over-promising and under-delivering an effective AI tool.

  • Section 2 does not specify the budget or resources allocated for the development of the AI tool, raising concerns about the adequacy of funding and financial planning.

  • The requirement in Section 2(b)(1) for the tool to accept submissions in a variety of formats such as emails, text messages, and scanned documents might be technologically challenging, leading to potential increased costs or implementation difficulties.

  • The definition of 'artificial intelligence' in Section 2(c) references another legal document, which could confuse individuals unfamiliar with that document. Including a brief definition or explanation in the bill could improve clarity.

  • Section 2 fails to address data privacy concerns related to the handling, storage, or protection of user submissions, which could be a significant oversight given the sensitive nature of the data involved.

Sections

Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.

1. Short title Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The SCAM Platform Act, or the "Spam Communication Assessment and Mitigation Platform Act," is the formal title given to this legislative act.

2. Scam identification tool Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The bill directs the Federal Communications Commission to create an online tool within a year of the bill’s enactment. This tool will use artificial intelligence to help people figure out if something is a scam by taking different types of submissions and giving them a likelihood rating for being a scam.