Palmetto State News

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) took to the Senate floor last night to urge the immediate passage of legislation aimed at combating the sexual exploitation of children online and holding Big Tech companies accountable. Graham, along with a bipartisan group of senators, including Chuck Grassley, John Cornyn, Amy Klobuchar, Josh Hawley, and Dick Durbin, emphasized the urgency of addressing this critical issue.

"The sexual exploitation of children [on these social media platforms] is just mind-boggling," stated Senator Graham during his impassioned plea for action.

Graham highlighted the challenges posed by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which shields tech giants from legal repercussions for the harm caused by their platforms: "The largest companies in America – social media outlets – that make hundreds of billions of dollars a year, you can't sue if they do damage to your family by using their product because of Section 230."

The senator underscored the bipartisan support behind the proposed legislation, stating, "All these bills, Madam President, have passed the Judiciary Committee unanimously… We see the problem the same. We hear from our constituents, who are helpless and hopeless. We're going to keep this up until we bring these [companies] to heel."

In a previous Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Senator Graham had confronted Big Tech CEOs about their failures to safeguard children online. He reiterated his commitment to pushing for the passage of bills specifically designed to enhance online child safety.

Among the key bills advocated for by Graham are the EARN IT Act of 2023, the STOP CSAM Act of 2023, and the SHIELD Act of 2023. Despite unanimous approval in the Judiciary Committee, the passage of the EARN IT and STOP CSAM Acts was blocked by Senators Ron Wyden and Cory Booker, respectively.

The EARN IT Act of 2023, originally introduced by Senators Graham and Richard Blumenthal, aims to remove immunity for violations related to online child sexual abuse material. Similarly, the STOP CSAM Act, introduced by Senator Dick Durbin, seeks to crackdown on the proliferation of child sex abuse material online. Additionally, the SHIELD Act, introduced by Senators Amy Klobuchar and John Cornyn, focuses on providing law enforcement with the necessary tools to combat privacy violations and protect victims of image exploitation.

As the debate on online child safety intensifies in Congress, Senator Graham and his colleagues remain steadfast in their efforts to pass crucial legislation that safeguards children and holds tech companies accountable for their platforms' content.