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Statement On The Introduction Of The END Child Exploitation Act

Washington, DC – In response to the introduction of the END Child Exploitation Act by Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH), Rep. Ann Kuster (D-NH), Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA) and Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA) with U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Internet Association (IA) Senior Director of Federal Government Affairs and Counsel Mike Lemon released the following statement:

“IA welcomes the reintroduction of the END Child Exploitation Act and hopes that Congress will take swift action to pass this important measure. Child sexual abuse material has no place online or offline. This bill is a critical step in the fight, giving law enforcement and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) more time to process and investigate service provider reports while also giving the internet industry more room to develop and improve technologies that are able to detect these crimes quickly. IA applauds Rep. Gonzalez for developing a common sense solution to remove an obstacle to successful law enforcement investigations and development of better detection technologies.”

IA and its member companies share the goal of eradicating child exploitation online and offline. They take a variety of actions including developing tools such as PhotoDNA and Google’s CSAI Match, donating engineering resources or funds to assist in modernization of NCMEC’s Cybertipline, working cooperatively with industry peers to improve detection technologies through the Technology Coalition, and engaging with law enforcement agencies such as working with the Five Eyes governments on voluntary Principles on Online Child Exploitation. Many companies proactively detect CSAM and fulfill their reporting obligation to NCMEC. IA supported the CyberTipline Modernization Act of 2018 to strengthen engagement between NCMEC, the public, and the internet sector and to improve law enforcement’s capabilities in the fight to combat child exploitation online and offline.

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