Response from Senator Marco Rubio
Our Legislative/Advocacy Chair, Brian Hammer, recently wrote to Senator Marco Rubio asking for his support on legislation affecting human trafficking and protection of children.
Here is his response:
Dear Mr. Hammer:
Thank you for taking the time to express your thoughts regarding online safety for children. Understanding your views helps me to better represent the people of Florida in the United States Senate, and I appreciate the opportunity to respond.
The Internet has provided us with unprecedented opportunities to connect with family and friends from afar and engage in commerce across great distances. Despite this, it has also provided a platform for those with malign intentions, resulting in stolen personal information, frequent censorship, and the trafficking of drugs and stolen goods. Most egregiously, the Internet is too often exploited by evil actors for the purposes of sexual abuse. To help prevent this, I was proud to be an original cosponsor of the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act of 2017 , which was incorporated into the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act. This law established enhanced penalties for sex traffickers, and clarified that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act does not provide immunity to those who violate human trafficking laws. I was proud to support this legislation when it was brought for a vote in the U.S. Senate on March 21, 2018. The bill was signed into law by President Trump on April 11, 2018 (P.L. 115-164).
Unfortunately, the Internet remains a hub for the exploitation of children and teens, particularly in the form of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online. In response to these concerns, Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) reintroduced S.1207, the Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies Act of 2023, or the EARN IT Act, on April 19, 2023. This bipartisan legislation requires companies to “earn” the protection they are afforded by amending Section 230 to allow federal civil claims against Internet companies, holding them responsible for failing to rein in CSAM on their platforms. The bill would also establish a National Commission on Online Child Sexual Exploitation Prevention to bring together lawmakers, agency officials, law enforcement, the tech industry, and survivors and victims’ organizations in order to strengthen efforts to fight child abuse and establish a set of best practices. In the interest of protecting children online, I am a cosponsor of S.1207, which was referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. On May 15, 2023, the EARN IT Act was voted favorably out of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. S. 1207 now awaits consideration before the full Senate.
Further, on May 2, 2023, I cosponsored S.1409, the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which was introduced by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). This bipartisan legislation would create a duty of care for social media companies to prevent harmful material from reaching children. The legislation would also require social media companies to perform annual independent audits to assess the risks posed to minors from their platforms and gives parents new controls to supervise their child’s activity on social media. It is known that exposing children and young adults to imagery containing eating disorders, suicidal ideation, and substance abuse, among other harmful behaviors, negatively impacts that child’s mental health. Big Tech companies have known this for a long time, but have consistently neglected to act in the best interest of children. It is of the utmost importance that Congress come together to protect our youth online. KOSA was referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. On July 27, 2023, KOSA was reported favorably out of the committee and now awaits consideration before the full Senate.
Should the EARN It Act or KOSA come up for a vote, I look forward to supporting these pieces of legislation on the Senate floor. These issues are important to me, and during my time in the Senate, I am proud to have supported several pieces of legislation that both aim to protect children online and support an open and free Internet.
It is an honor and a privilege to serve you as your United States Senator. I will keep your thoughts in mind as I consider these issues and continue working to ensure America remains a safe and prosperous nation.