Durbin Urges Senate To Pass His STOP CSAM Act

Durbin Urges Senate To Pass His STOP CSAM Act

The bipartisan legislation advanced unanimously out of the Judiciary Committee and awaits floor action

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, urged his Senate colleagues to pass hisbipartisan STOP CSAM Act. The Committee advanced the bill unanimously in June.

Durbin began by highlighting the grave concerns parents have about their kids online, saying: "Protecting our children is one of the most important duties of public service. When families send their kids to school, or let them play outside, or allow them to go online, they should be confident that their kids are safe. But today, too many parents have a sinking feeling every time their child logs onto a phone, tablet, or video game console. They know that the internet has become a dangerous opportunity for predators looking to exploit the young and vulnerable. This is not a problem of the future. It is the crisis now."

Durbin then expounded on the magnitude of the online child safety crisis, citing NCMEC data showing an explosion in online reports of CSAM, saying: "Congress must act now. In 2014, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, or NCMEC, received approximately 1.1 million CyberTips about child sexual abuse material, also known as CSAM. By 2023-less than 10 years later-the number of CyberTips had exploded from 1.1 million to 36.2 million. Over 36 million reports in a single year. Each one of these reports represents a child being harmed, exploited, or degraded. It is sickening and shows the sheer magnitude of this crisis."

Durbin next described his motivation to advance the STOP CSAM Act in Congress, saying: "As I have learned more about the horrors of online child sexual exploitation, I have made it my mission forthe Senate Judiciary Committee to do something about it. I'll never forget the heartbreaking testimony of witnesses, parents who came and told the story of what happened to their sons and daughters as a result of exploitation on the internet. I want to thank Senator Josh Hawley for being the Republican lead on this bill and my colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee-Democrats and Republicans alike-who voted unanimously to advance the bill out of Committee earlier this year. I want to recognize the extraordinary survivors and advocates who have fought to make this legislation possible. Your heartbreaking stories-your testimony-make the difference."

Durbin concluded with a call to action encouraging the Senate to act on the bill, saying: "The Senate Judiciary Committee has worked together on this matter-unanimously-to advance meaningful child safety legislation. As I said earlier, the STOP CSAM Act passed unanimously out of committee. That unanimity is no accident. It reflects a shared understanding that when it comes to protecting children, partisanship has no place. We've shown that Democrats and Republicans can come together to write, strengthen, and advance legislation that takes on Big Tech and prioritizes kids' safety. To my colleagues who have not yet signed onto the bill, welcome aboard. We need you. Join us. Become a cosponsor of the STOP CSAM Act. The Judiciary Committee has done its job. The families in our states are watching. Survivors are waiting. Advocates are working day and night to protect kids at home and worldwide. It is time for the Senate to act."

The legislation cracks down on the proliferation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online by allowing victims of child sexual exploitation to sue companies that promote or facilitate exploitation or that host, store, or otherwise make CSAM available.

The bill also supports victims and increases transparency for online platforms by, among other things:

• Expanding protections for child victims and witnesses in federal court;
• Facilitating restitution for victims of child exploitation, human trafficking, sexual assault, and crimes of violence;
• Strengthening CyberTipline reporting requirements; and
• Requiring large tech companies to submit annual reports detailing their efforts to protect children on their platforms.

The STOP CSAM Act is endorsed this Congress by 3 Strands Global Foundation, Child Rescue Coalition, Engage Together, Esperanza United. International Justice Mission, Joyful Heart Foundation, Marsh Law Firm PLLC, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, National Center on Sexual Exploitation, National Children's Alliance, RAINN, Raven, Sexual Violence Prevention Association, Shared Hope International, and Street Grace. The legislation has previously been endorsed by Google, X (formerly known as Twitter), and Snap.

Read the full bill text here.

Video of Durbin's remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Audio of Durbin's remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Footage of Durbin's remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.

Durbin has used his role on the Senate Judiciary Committee to prioritize child safety online through hearings, legislation, and oversight efforts. On January 31, 2024, while Durbin was serving as Chair, the Committee held a hearing featuring testimony from the CEOs of social media companies Discord, Meta, Snap, TikTok, and X (formerly known as Twitter). This hearing highlighted the ongoing risk to children and the immediate need for Congress to act on the bipartisan bills reported by the Committee.

In addition, Durbin's bipartisan Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits Act of 2024 (DEFIANCE Act) passed the Senate in July 2024-and was reintroduced in the Senate this year. The legislation would hold accountable those responsible for the proliferation of nonconsensual, sexually-explicit "deepfake" images and videos. The volume of "deepfake" content available online is increasing exponentially as the technology used to create it has become more accessible to the public. The overwhelming majority of this material is sexually explicit and produced without the consent of the person depicted.

Earlier this year, the Judiciary Committee held a hearing entitled "Children's Safety in the Digital Era: Strengthening Protections and Addressing Legal Gaps." Durbin's opening statement from that hearing is available here, and his questions for the witnesses are available here.

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