Law / United States / 
New Jersey
Online Bot Disclosure Law (A4563)
N.J. Stat. §§ 56:18-1 to 56:18-5 (P.L. 2019, c. 486, A4563)
In force since .
An AI transparency rule binding public and private bodies.
As of .
What it requires
- If you use an online bot to communicate or interact with a person in New Jersey in connection with the sale or advertisement of any merchandise or real estate, disclose at the outset of the communication or interaction, in clear and conspicuous fashion, that it is being conducted by or through a bot.
- If you use an online bot to solicit support for any candidate, party or public question in an election from a person in New Jersey, disclose at the outset of the communication or interaction, in clear and conspicuous fashion, that it is being conducted by or through a bot.
- A bot here is an automated online account where all or substantially all of the actions or posts of that account are not directly generated by a live natural person.
- A service provider of an online platform, including an Internet web hosting service provider or an Internet service provider, owes no duty under this law.
These lines are LexLint's reading of the law's text, as of .
What this law does
A person may not use an online bot to communicate or interact with a person in New Jersey in connection with the sale or advertisement of any merchandise or real estate, or to solicit support for any candidate, party or public question in an election, unless the person discloses at the outset of the communication or interaction, in clear and conspicuous fashion, that it is being conducted by or through a bot.
A bot is an automated online account where all or substantially all of the actions or posts of that account are not directly generated by a live natural person. A violator is liable for a civil penalty of $2,500 for the first offense, $5,000 for the second offense and $10,000 for each subsequent offense, collected in a summary proceeding under the Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999.
The Attorney General may also seek an injunction and recover the costs of investigation, the costs of the action and reasonable attorney fees. The law imposes no duty on the service provider of an online platform, including an Internet web hosting service provider or an Internet service provider. The law takes effect on the 180th day after the date of enactment. The Legislature records its approval of the act on .
When LexLint raises it
When your app profile says your app deploys a chatbot or sends automated outreach.