Welcome to the Stealth Bot Prohibition Act Resource Center.
Your place for information on the Stealth Bot Prohibition Act (H.R. 9915), which would would require AI stealth crawlers (“bad bots”) to disclose their identity and purpose.
About the Bill
The Stealth Bot Prohibition Act (H.R.9915) will make it illegal to:
- Deploy stealth bots in a way that damages, impairs, or burdens the technical or commercial operation of a website or other internet service.
- Intentionally disguise the nature of AI bots to appear as a human user for generative AI purposes.
This gives publishers the tools to block bad bots and control their own content, taking the first step towards a healthy, well-functioning marketplace for news content.
Actions You Can Take Now:
The most important thing publishers can do right now is let your representatives know how urgently this legislation is needed and how important it is to your publications.
Actions you can take to help the Stealth Bot Prohibition Act (H.R.9915) move forward:
- Contact your local representatives and ask them to co-sponsor the bill
- Join our campaign calling on Congress to pass the Stealth Bot Prohibition Act by running this editorial
- Promote the Stealth Bot Prohibition Act on social media
Quick Links:
- Bill text
- Contact Member of Congress
- Sample Editorial
- Talking Points
- Fact Sheet
- Social Media Toolkit
Scroll down for additional information and resources.
Help Us Get Stealth Bot Prohibition Act Co-Sponsors:
Contact your Member of Congress and ask that they sponsor this legislation to require bots to disclose their identity and purpose. Talking points and a fact sheet are provided below.
Talking Points
We urge you to support the Stealth Bot Prohibition Act (H.R. 9915) to ensure that bots are required to disclose their identity and purpose, giving news publishers the transparency they need to protect their content. Use our talking points in conversations about the bill.
Editorials / Op-Eds
Support from members’ constituent publishers will help build momentum for the legislation. Click the link below to download and run the bill introduction editorial on the need to pass the Stealth Bot Prohibition Act (H.R. 9915) now.
Editorial:
“Stop the Bad Bots to Save the News”
* Note: You are encouraged to either run this as an op-ed with Danielle Coffey, President and CEO of the News/Media Alliance, as the author, or use it as the basis of an editorial of your own. Please click here to download a headshot of Danielle.
Fact Sheet
The Stealth Bot Prohibition Act (H.R. 9915) offers a simple, common-sense solution to a growing problem threatening the health of the internet and our information ecosystem - a flood of bad bots. Researchers now say there are more bots than humans on the internet, and news publishers are being drowned by bots that are overloading their webpages and stealing their content.
Read our fact sheet for more information about the challenges facing publishers, and how the Stealth Bot Prohibition gives them the tools they need to protect themselves.
Bill Sponsors
2026 House Bill (H.R.9915) Sponsors:
- Rep. Laurel Lee (R-FL-15)
- Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC-4)
- Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL-9)
NMA Press Releases & Statements
News/Media Alliance Applauds AI Bot Transparency Bill Introduction (7.23.26)
Share Social Media Support for the Stealth Bot Prohibition Act
Share your support for the Stealth Bot Prohibition Act — and ask your Member of Congress to do the same — by posting at them with one of our pre-written posts. You can add some visual appeal by using one of our social graphics, too.
Sample Social Media Posts
Social Media Graphics Download (A selection included below)