A Democratic bill to fight online child sexual exploitation picked up Republican support Thursday after lawmakers rewrote the measure that is designed to make it easier for victims to sue Big Tech companies.
Sen. Josh Hawley, Missouri Republican, joined a push to pass the STOP CSAM Act authored by Sen. Richard Durbin, Illinois Democrat. The bill’s backers say the legislation would slow the online spread of illegal sexual content involving children and would make it more likely that tech companies could be held liable for the exploitative conduct of predators on the companies’ platforms.
Mr. Durbin said at a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting that the lawmakers changed the proposal’s provision governing the civil legal actions people will be authorized to take against Big Tech under the law.
The committee chairman said the modifications included how to define the burden of proof necessary to show that a tech company knowingly hosted violative content and made it available online.
Mr. Hawley said taking the tech companies to court would result in real change and help better obtain justice for victims of child sexual exploitation.
“I’ve just become convinced that maybe the only way to get the attention of these platforms is to give individuals the right to get into court and to have their day in court,” Mr. Hawley said at the meeting. “And frankly, that’s just an old-fashioned American principle — that you ought to be able to get into court and have your day in court.”
Republicans agreed and voted alongside Mr. Hawley to advance Mr. Durbin’s bill through the Senate Judiciary Committee as it awaits final consideration on the Senate floor.
Some Republicans, however, suggested more work was needed on the bill before it received a final vote.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee Republican, sought to scrap a provision in the bill that would create a child online protection board at the Federal Trade Commission charged with getting tech companies to report and remove objectionable content.
She said the Justice Department was better equipped than the FTC to handle law enforcement issues and lawmakers ought to review a new program from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children to help flag online child sexual abuse material. Sen. Mike Lee, Utah Republican, said he agreed with Ms. Blackburn’s worries, and Mr. Durbin said he would work with Ms. Blackburn to address her concerns.
The STOP CSAM Act is one of several proposals under debate in Congress aimed at better protecting children and teens online.
• Ryan Lovelace can be reached at rlovelace@washingtontimes.com.
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