WASHINGTON—Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on “Protecting Our Children Online Against the Evolving Offender.” In this important conversation, lawmakers should ensure the Justice Department is fully enforcing the PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008 and increase funding for law enforcement to get predators off the internet and off the streets.
Empowering law enforcement to stop digital criminals harming kids is a key pillar of NetChoice’s Digital Safety Shield for America. By uniting behind these solutions, we can crush digital crime and empower families without impeding Americans’ protected rights.
“Law enforcement is key to stopping predators and cybercriminals trying to hurt children in digital spaces. Congress should conduct the necessary oversight to ensure America’s laws to lock up predators targeting kids online are being vigorously enforced,” said Amy Bos, NetChoice Vice President of Government Affairs. “Additionally, Congress should ensure cops have the funding they need to arrest and convict these criminals. Funding in the NDAA for the PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008 was a good start, but policymakers should convene with law enforcement officials to ensure this provides adequate resources to investigate reports from tech companies to NCMEC and pursue appropriate prosecution.”
While tech companies are legally required to report abuse material of minors to NCMEC, less than 1% of those reports are actually investigated. Now that Congress has included needed reauthorization and funding for the PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008, lawmakers should work with President Donald Trump to ensure the Justice Department is properly enforcing it. This law aimed to create “a strong nationwide network of highly trained law enforcement experts to track down these offenders and put them behind bars.”
Watch the hearing here.
Learn more at netchoice.org/DigitalSafetyShieldforAmerica.
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