Show-Me State Times

During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) addressed the increasing presence of child sexual abuse material on the internet, urging for immediate legislative action to hold major technology companies accountable.

"In 2023, there were 104 million images and videos of suspected child abuse material uploaded onto the internet, compared to 450,000 in 2004," stated Senator Hawley. He highlighted a significant rise in reports of child exploitation material from one million in 2014 to 36.2 million in 2023, citing data from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. "In other words, it’s just an enormous explosion," he added.

Senator Hawley emphasized the need for Congress to empower parents with legal recourse against tech companies: “It is past time that this Congress gave parents the ability to [sue Big Tech companies]… until Congress gives parents the ability to sue, nothing will change." He expressed skepticism about fines and regulations affecting these companies but noted their fear of jury trials.

The senator also announced plans to reintroduce his Anti-CSAM legislation with Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), which was previously advanced by the Judiciary Committee but stalled on the Senate floor. Senator Hawley has consistently advocated for holding Big Tech accountable and enhancing online safety for children. Last year, he questioned Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg regarding child exploitation on social media platforms and urged him to apologize to victims' families.