Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act

The Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act would require the Federal Communications Commission to annually publish lists identifying companies that hold FCC licenses or authorizations and have connections to four specified foreign adversary nations: China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia. The bill defines covered entities as organizations incorporated in these countries, their subsidiaries, or the governments themselves.

For companies holding certain high-security licenses like submarine cable landing licenses or licenses obtained through competitive auction, the FCC would publish all entities in which a covered foreign entity holds significant voting or equity interests, or that national security agencies have determined are controlled by such entities. For other types of FCC licenses, the FCC would first establish rules to collect information about ownership structures before adding entities to the published lists.

If enacted, this bill would increase transparency around foreign ownership and control of communications infrastructure and licensed entities in the United States. Citizens and businesses would be able to see which companies operating in the U.S. communications sector have ties to these foreign adversaries, potentially informing consumer choices and business decisions. The bill passed the Senate and is currently being debated in the House of Representatives.