WASHINGTON—Yesterday, Congress released the text of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) package for FY2026. Included in the bill is a provision to fund the PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008 through 2028. NetChoice praises this addition to the NDAA (pg. 744-757) that will provide meaningful resources and support to law enforcement to stop predators and cybercriminals targeting children on digital services. We urged Congress to take action and fund this important law in our Digital Safety Shield for America.
“NetChoice applauds the inclusion of resources for the PROTECT Our Children Act in this year’s NDAA. This important provision, which we’ve been advocating for in NetChoice’s Digital Safety Shield for America, provides law enforcement with critical funding so they can more effectively investigate and stop predators targeting kids online,” said Amy Bos, NetChoice Vice President of Government Affairs.
“This will help to get more criminals off the streets and off the internet. We’re grateful to see Congress step up on this important issue and work to keep American children safe in digital spaces with meaningful funding.”
The PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008 aimed to create, “a strong nationwide network of highly trained law enforcement experts to track down [digital] offenders and put them behind bars.” Despite this excellent and commendable effort to put predators operating online in jail, the DOJ fell into noncompliance with the law, according to a December 2022 report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Part of the issue had to do with insufficient funding to execute the law. Including the needed funds for the PROTECT Act in this year’s NDAA sends a clear message that Congress wants to ensure law enforcement has the resources it needs to stop digital predators.
NetChoice’s Digital Safety Shield for America provides a policy blueprint for lawmakers on both the state and federal level to adopt meaningful and legal solutions for families. Working together on solutions like this, we can stop digital criminals, protect kids and empower parents online while upholding the rights of Americans.
Read the NDAA provision (pg. 744-757) here.
Learn more at netchoice.org/DigitalSafetyShieldforAmerica.
Please contact press@netchoice.org with inquiries.