Thanks to the digital age, the online sexual exploitation of children is a rampant issue that touches every corner of society. Every kid with a cellphone can be a victim of an internet predator. The EARN IT act is a much-needed bill that would force negligent companies to be liable for the harm they’ve allowed to be perpetrated on so many kids. 

In 2023, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received 32 million reports of online enticement, child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and online child sex trafficking. And those are just reports from the US. Another study found that one-in-six American children experience online sexual abuse before the age of 18. Much of this abuse is facilitated by social media platforms such as Instagram, Discord, Snapchat, and Facebook. 

Despite the clear evidence that social media is a facilitator of innumerable harm to America’s children, these companies are entirely free of from liability, thanks to section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. That bill gives “interactive computer services” broad immunity from liability for third party content on their platforms and any harm caused by those materials. Because of that freedom from liability, big tech companies have done very little to address the epidemic of online child exploitation.

That's why Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is sponsoring Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies, or EARN IT, Act. The bill, if passed, would amend Section 230 by removing the blanket immunity granted to tech companies. It would also strengthen the enforcement of CSAM statutes and allow recourse for victims and survivors of online exploitation. The companies responsible for damaging the lives of so many innocent children must be held responsible. Ask your Senators to cosponsor S. 1207 today.