Rep. Barry Moore introduces bipartisan legislation to protect children online

Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Barry Moore and Rep. Sylvia Garcia introduced the Strengthening Transparency and Obligations to Protect Children Suffering from Abuse and Mistreatment (STOP CSAM) Act. This legislation expands protections for child victims and witnesses in federal court proceedings to help facilitate restitution for victims of child exploitation, human trafficking, sexual assault, and violent crimes.

This bill also empowers victims by making it easier for them to ask tech companies to remove child sexual abuse material and related imagery from their platforms and by creating an administrative penalty for the failure to comply with a removal request. It also requires big tech companies to submit annual reports describing their efforts to protect children going forward.

"Unfortunately, emerging technologies have only made it easier for criminals to obtain child sexual abuse material,” said Moore. "American victims have increased 422 percent over a 15-year period. I thank Rep. Garcia for joining me on this bipartisan legislation that strengthens reporting requirements to hold big tech accountable when they fail to protect our children and help victims get the justice they deserve."

“There is no greater responsibility than keeping our children safe,” said Garcia. “The presence of the internet has made it increasingly easy for these offenders to run rampant. As emerging technologies make the internet accessible for everyone, especially among children, malicious individuals are using it as a hub to target and violate child sexual abuse laws. The STOP CSAM Act will hold tech companies accountable by creating stronger protection for our children. It’s time for Congress to act and protect our children from online predators.”

The STOP CSAM Act is endorsed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the National Children’s Alliance, ECPAT-USA, Raven, Child Rescue Coalition, the National District Attorney’s Association, the National Fraternal Order of Police, the Major Cities Chiefs Association, the National Criminal Justice Training Center, Street Grace, and the Youth Power Project.

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