U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed her bipartisan legislation, the REPORT Act, to protect children online from predators:
“I am pleased that my bipartisan REPORT Act has passed the House and is heading to the President’s desk to be signed into law. Children are increasingly looking at screens, and the reality is that the internet and social media leaves more innocent kids at risk of online exploitation. Under this new law, big tech companies will now be required to report when children are being trafficked, groomed or enticed by predators.” – Senator Blackburn
BACKGROUND
- This legislation legally requires companies to report sex trafficking of children and enticement beginning 180 days after the bill’s enactment and following guidelines from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).
- It increases penalties for failing to report exploitative content, with fines ranging from $150,000 to $1 million, depending on the offense and the size of the company.
- It increases the time that evidence submitted to the CyberTipline is preserved to allow law enforcement more time to investigate and prosecute criminals. Evidence will now be required to be stored for one year; previously, it was 90 days.
- It allows victims and their parents to directly report abuse to NCMEC and allows for the secure cloud storage and safe transfer of reports from NCMEC to law enforcement.
