A BILL IN THE WORKS: NEED INPUT AND SUGGESTIONS
To deter and punish online true threats, criminal solicitation, and incitement to imminent violence; to protect persons and property; and for other purposes.
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Internet and Media Accountability Act of 2025.”
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) Findings.— Congress finds that—
(1) digitally mediated threats and calls for imminent violent offenses endanger life, chill civic participation, and impose substantial public costs;
(2) the First Amendment protects advocacy—even harsh or unpopular ideas—but does not protect true threats, criminal solicitation, or incitement to imminent lawless action; and
(3) narrowly tailored criminal offenses, civil remedies, and court-supervised restrictions are necessary to prevent violence while preserving constitutional rights.
(b) Purpose.— To establish clear federal offenses and remedies for online threats, criminal solicitation, and incitement to imminent violence; to authorize strong, time-limited, reviewable sanctions; and to provide restitution for victims.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Electronic communication service means any service enabling users to create, transmit, or share content by wire or radio, including social media, messaging services, websites, forums, and broadcasting.
(2) True threat means a statement that a reasonable person would understand as a serious expression of intent to commit an unlawful act of violence against a specific person or readily identifiable group, made with at least reckless disregard as to whether it will be perceived as a threat.
(3) Criminal solicitation means intentionally commanding, requesting, or encouraging another to commit a covered violent offense, with the purpose that such offense be committed.
(4) Incitement to imminent lawless action means speech directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless action and likely to produce such action, made with intent that such action occur.
(5) Imminent means expected to occur forthwith or within a close temporal window such that law enforcement cannot reasonably intercede.
(6) Covered violent offense includes homicide, kidnapping, aggravated assault, arson, bombing, and targeted property destruction creating a substantial risk to human life, including attempts and conspiracies.
SEC. 4. OFFENSES.
(a) True threats via electronic communication.—
Whoever, using an electronic communication service, knowingly or recklessly transmits a true threat with the purpose of placing the target in fear of unlawful violence shall be fined, imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.
Enhancements (up to 10 years) apply if—
(1) the target is a minor or an official/worker performing public duties (e.g., judge, election worker, law-enforcement, health-care, critical-infrastructure); or
(2) the threat is coupled with doxxing that creates a substantial risk of bodily injury.
(b) Criminal solicitation of a covered violent offense online.—
Whoever, with purpose that a covered violent offense be committed, commands, requests, or encourages another to commit such offense via an electronic communication service shall be fined, imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both.
(c) Incitement to imminent lawless action online.—
Whoever, via an electronic communication service, intentionally incites or produces imminent lawless action and where such action is likely to occur, shall be fined, imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.
(d) Attempt and conspiracy.—
Attempt or conspiracy to violate this section is punishable as the underlying offense.
SEC. 5. EXPRESS PROTECTIONS FOR LAWFUL SPEECH.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to criminalize—
(1) news reporting; academic, artistic, or historical analysis; satire; or the distribution of lawfully obtained public records;
(2) abstract advocacy of ideas or political change not directed to producing imminent lawless action and not likely to produce such action; or
(3) offensive or hyperbolic opinions absent the elements defined in section 4.
SEC. 6. PROCEDURAL SAFEGUARDS.
(a) Mens rea.— The Government must prove beyond a reasonable doubt the mental state required for each offense.
(b) Specificity.— Charging instruments must identify the target(s), the content at issue, platform(s), date(s), and facts establishing imminence, likelihood, or purpose.
(c) Lawful process.— Digital evidence shall be obtained under warrant or other lawful process; providers shall preserve records upon valid legal request.
(d) No prior restraint.— Courts shall not impose blanket or indefinite prohibitions on future speech.
SEC. 7. SENTENCING, RESTITUTION, AND VICTIM PROTECTION.
(a) Sentencing factors.— In addition to the guidelines, courts shall consider the number/vulnerability of victims, foreseeability of harm, scope/coordination of the conduct, prior similar conduct, and mitigation.
(b) Restitution.— Mandatory restitution for security costs, relocation, medical/counseling, and protective infrastructure reasonably incurred due to the offense.
(c) Victim privacy.— Protective orders may limit redisclosure of addresses, medical info, or other sensitive data introduced in proceedings.
SEC. 8. TARGETED POST-CONVICTION CONDITIONS (TIME-LIMITED).
(a) Court-supervised restrictions.— Upon conviction under section 4, a court may impose narrowly tailored conditions reasonably related to the offense, including:
(1) no-contact orders with victims, witnesses, or co-conspirators, including online references designed to harass or intimidate;
(2) prohibition on using specific accounts, handles, groups, or websites used to facilitate the offense;
(3) monitored or restricted internet access during imprisonment and supervised release, with carve-outs for employment, education, healthcare, legal/political participation, and family necessities;
(4) platform- or forum-specific restrictions where the offense occurred.
(b) Duration and review.— Communication conditions may not exceed 5 years on supervised release without annual judicial review and must terminate when no longer necessary.
(c) No permanent gag orders or blanket internet bans.
SEC. 9. CIVIL REMEDIES AND EMERGENCY RELIEF.
(a) Private right of action.— A person threatened or targeted in violation of section 4 may seek damages, injunctive relief, and attorney’s fees.
(b) Temporary orders.— On clear and convincing evidence, courts may issue targeted takedown or anti-doxxing orders directed to specific unlawful content, with prompt notice and adversarial review.
SEC. 10. PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY CONSEQUENCES (NARROW, REVIEWABLE).
(a) Conviction-based limits.— For felony convictions under section 4, a court may, as a condition of probation or supervised release, impose time-limited ineligibility (not to exceed 3 years) for discretionary non-emergency grants or contracts directly related to communications services used in the offense.
(b) Exemptions.— No restriction may deny access to emergency medical care, basic nutrition assistance for dependents, disability benefits, or constitutionally protected voting participation.
(c) Appeal and restoration.— Individuals may seek early restoration upon showing sustained compliance and rehabilitation.
SEC. 11. PLATFORM COOPERATION AND SAFE HARBORS.
(a) Good-faith compliance.— Interactive computer services that, pursuant to valid legal process, preserve records or remove content adjudicated to violate this Act shall not incur civil liability for such acts.
(b) Transparency.— Platforms responding to orders under this Act shall publish periodic transparency reports consistent with user privacy and ongoing investigations.
SEC. 12. FEDERAL–STATE COORDINATION.
This Act supplements State criminal law. Federal, State, Tribal, and local authorities are encouraged to coordinate evidence preservation, referrals, and victim protection.
SEC. 13. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.
Nothing in this Act authorizes surveillance or enforcement that violates the Constitution or laws of the United States, or abridges any right protected by the First, Fourth, Fifth, or Fourteenth Amendments.
SEC. 14. SEVERABILITY.
If any provision of this Act or its application is held invalid, the remainder shall not be affected.
SEC. 15. EFFECTIVE DATE; SUNSET REVIEW.
This Act takes effect 180 days after enactment. The Attorney General shall report to Congress within 4 years on prosecutions, outcomes, restitution, and First Amendment impacts. Sections 8–11 shall sunset after 6 years unless reauthorized.