Biden signs Blackburn’s bipartisan bill modernizing reporting of cyber crimes against children

President Joe Biden this week signed into law a bill sponsored by US Sen. Marsha Blackburn modernizing and streamlining how websites and social media companies report sexual exploitation of children online — and heightening penalties for tech companies that fail to report cyber crimes against children.

Biden on Tuesday signed into law the Revising Existing Procedures on Reporting via Technology Act — or the REPORT Act — a rare bipartisan bill sponsored by Blackburn, R-Tennessee, and US Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Georgia.

“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,” Blackburn said in a statement. “Under this new law, big tech companies will now be required to report when children are being trafficked, groomed or enticed by predators.”

The law creates new reporting requirements for big tech companies, including Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram, for crimes against children. Those crimes include sex trafficking, grooming, or enticement of children for sexual acts. Previously, federal law only required tech companies to report child sexual abuse.

Tech companies will be required to report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s CyberTipline, the centralized reporting system for child exploitation online. Victims and their parents may also report abuse directly to the center. NCMEC shares reports filed with relevant law enforcement agencies.

Last year, more than 32 million reports were made to the CyberTipline, with more than 88 million images and videos reporting child sexual exploitation, according to NCMEC president Michelle DeLaune.

The new law also toughens penalties for tech companies that knowingly and willfully fail to report crimes against children, establishing fines of between $150,000 and $1 million depending on the severity of the crime and the size of the company. The law also requires evidence to be preserved for one year, instead of the current 90 days, giving law enforcement more time to investigate and prosecute crimes.

Reporting requirements will begin 180 days after the bill’s enactment.

“My bipartisan law with Senator Blackburn will ensure tech companies are held accountable to report and remove child sex abuse material and to strengthen protection for kids online,” Ossoff said in a statement. “At a time of such division in Congress, we successfully brought Republicans and Democrats together to protect kids on the internet, and now our bill is law.”

Strengthening laws to prevent cybercrimes against children has been a priority for Blackburn, who also sponsored the END Child Exploitation Act, passed by the US Senate in 2022.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children endorsed the legislation, as did the International Justice Mission, Fraternal Order of Police, ChildFund International, and others.

“Identifying, arresting, and prosecuting those who prey on the most vulnerable in our society should be a priority, and we believe that this bill provides the tools law enforcement needs to stop these predators,” FOP President Patrick Yoes said.

Nate King, director of congressional affairs for International Justice Mission, called the new law “an important step in strengthening federal policy to better protect children online in the US and around the globe.”

“Americans are some of the top offenders paying for and consuming child sexual abuse material and committing child sex trafficking online, including via livestreaming. Additionally, most of the technology platforms and apps weaponized to exploit and abuse children, including in the Philippines, are based in the US and governed by our laws,” King said. “It was clear that updates were desperately needed to the existing reporting framework.”

House companion legislation was led by US Reps. Laurel Lee, R-Florida, Susie Lee, D-Nevada, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, and Madeleine Dean, D-Pennsylvania.

Vivian Jones covers state government and politics for The Tennessean. Reach her at [email protected] or on X @Vivian_E_Jones.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Biden signs Blackburn’s bipartisan bill modernizing reporting of cyber crimes against children