Blackburn, Klobuchar Bill to Support Organizations Assisting Law Enforcement in Investigation of Child Exploitation Passes Judiciary Committee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) released the following statements after their Safe Cloud Storage Act advanced unanimously out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. This legislation would provide limited liability protections to law enforcement-approved vendors to securely store and transfer child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to assist in investigations of child sexual exploitation.

"Those helping law enforcement in the fight against child sexual exploitation must be able to securely store evidence of these horrific crimes," said Senator Blackburn. "Our bipartisan Safe Cloud Storage Act would ensure investigators can securely handle and store CSAM evidence in the cloud by providing limited liability protections, and I'm pleased it is one step closer to becoming law."

"We must do everything we can to protect our children from online exploitation and abuse," said Senator Klobuchar. "Our commonsense, bipartisan bill would improve investigations and prosecutions by allowing law enforcement to safely store and transmit evidence using cloud systems - saving time and resources."

The Safe Cloud Storage Act is also co-sponsored by Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), and Ashley Moody (R-Fla.).

• In 2024, Senator Blackburn's REPORT Act was signed into law, which-among other things-provided limited liability protections for National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)-contracted vendors to store and transfer CSAM for investigative purposes.

• These civil and criminal liability protections were incredibly important for NCMEC as it reviews horrific evidence of child pornography during investigations of reports of exploitation received from online platforms.

• Other third-party law enforcement vendors similarly need the ability to store and handle this investigative material without facing criminal or civil liability.

• The Safe Cloud Storage Act would build upon Senator Blackburn's REPORT Act by ensuring that law enforcement-approved vendors who assist in investigations of child exploitation are permitted to securely store this evidence that is critical to holding these criminals accountable.

• Specifically, this bipartisan bill would permit law enforcement-approved vendors to provide secure, cloud-based storage of CSAM evidence without facing a civil claim or criminal charge-giving law enforcement the flexibility they need as they work to investigate and target these horrific criminals.

• As with the REPORT Act, this legislation would require vendors to adhere to strict cybersecurity standards to ensure that this material is securely stored. Importantly, these law enforcement-approved vendors would not be shielded from civil or criminal claims under this bill's limited liability protections if they engage in intentional misconduct, negligent conduct, or if they act with malice.

ENDORSEMENTS

This legislation is endorsed by Raven, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), Thorn, International Justice Mission, Fraternal Order of Police, Child Rescue Coalition, National District Attorneys Association, Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies, and National Center on Sexual Exploitation.

"The Safe Cloud Storage Act is a critical step forward in modernizing how law enforcement investigates child sexual exploitation. By authorizing secure, cloud-based storage for CSAM evidence, this bill ensures that investigators can move cases faster, identify victims sooner, and hold offenders accountable, all while maintaining the highest cybersecurity standards. RAVEN strongly supports this effort to give law enforcement the 21st-century tools they need to protect children online," said Jennifer Dunton, Director of Legislative Affairs at Raven.

"The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) is proud to support the Safe Cloud Storage Act and thanks Senator Blackburn, Senator Klobuchar, Senator Cornyn, and Senator Blumenthal for introducing this important piece of legislation. The bill will modernize law enforcement's use of advanced technologies, enabling more streamlined investigations of cases of child sexual exploitation. We look forward to continuing our work with the bill's sponsors to see this legislation advance," said Michelle DeLaune, CEOof NCMEC.

"Thorn is proud to endorse the Safe Cloud Storage Act and is grateful for Senator Blackburn and Senator Klobuchar for their leadership on this legislation. This Act would make a critical legal update that would allow law enforcement to safely use cloud storage in the process of investigating child sexual exploitation and abuse victims. This update will allow law enforcement to more efficiently investigate these crimes at scale and protect children from sexual abuse," said Emily Slifer, Director of Policy at Thorn.

"The Safe Cloud Storage Act will modernize and accelerate CSAM investigations conducted by law enforcement. This needed legislation builds upon recently increased reporting requirements through the REPORT Act by ensuring that law enforcement-approved vendors who assist in CSAM investigations can legally and securely store evidence that is critical to holding perpetrators accountable, including U.S.-based CSAM offenders who direct and consume live child sexual abuse of children in countries like the Philippines,"said Nate King, Director of Congressional Affairs at International Justice Mission.

"The National Fraternal Order of Police strongly supports Safe Cloud Storage Act. This important piece of legislation modernizes how critical digital evidence is securely stored and shared, helping officers investigate serious crimes more efficiently while protecting victims' privacy. The FOP is grateful for Senator Blackburn's leadership, alongside Senators Klobuchar, Cornyn, Blumenthal, Britt, Coons, and Lee, in ensuring police have the reliable, secure tools we need to keep pace with increasingly digital threats to public safety," said Patrick Yoes, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police.

"At Child Rescue Coalition, our innovative technology empowers law enforcement to identify and arrest child predators faster and more effectively. The SCSA strengthens and modernizes how law enforcement can securely store, share, and interact with CSAM, accelerating the identification of offenders and the rescue of victims. This bill reinforces trust, accountability, and innovation, ensuring critical safeguards evolve alongside the technology law enforcement relies on every day to protect children," said Greg Schiller, CEO of the Child Rescue Coalition.

"The Safe Cloud Storage Act equips prosecutors and law enforcement with the modern, secure tools that are necessary to safely store and analyze CSAM while maintaining the strictest and highest standards of security and accountability. This legislation strengthens investigations, protects victims and ensures that highly sensitive evidence is properly stored," said Nelson Bunn, Executive Director of the National District Attorneys Association.

RELATED

• Blackburn, Klobuchar, Cornyn, Blumenthal Introduce Legislation to Support Organizations Assisting Law Enforcement in Investigation of Child Sexual Exploitation