Untitled Document

[00:00:00] I guess [00:00:01] not hello hey there we go let me start [00:00:06] over I want to thank my friend Lindsey [00:00:08] Graham uh we've been working together on [00:00:10] these issues for a long time and his [00:00:13] continued partnership makes a real [00:00:15] difference bipartisanship is should be [00:00:17] at the heart of this because the victims [00:00:20] are certainly from all across the [00:00:21] political Spectrum as well the Senate [00:00:23] Jud dist committee which a chair is not [00:00:26] Al always known for [00:00:27] bipartisanship we have members that span [00:00:30] political Spectrum you ought to take a [00:00:31] look at the membership if you question [00:00:33] that and we tackle some of the most [00:00:35] controversial issues in this [00:00:37] country yet one year ago all 21 members [00:00:41] de every Democrat and every Republican [00:00:43] on the committee unanimously passed five [00:00:46] bills designed to make kids safer online [00:00:49] my stop cesam was one of those bills it [00:00:52] ensures that victims finally have their [00:00:55] day in court and it finally creates an [00:00:58] incentive for big Tech to get serious [00:01:00] about approaching kids safety later [00:01:03] today we're going to be discussing this [00:01:05] uh and deciding the next step to move [00:01:08] forward because we want to move not only [00:01:10] the stop CM act but Senator Grahams [00:01:13] earned act we want these to be taken up [00:01:15] and considered by the Senate as soon as [00:01:17] possible there's no time to waste a year [00:01:21] ago Wall Street Journal reported that [00:01:22] Instagram's algorithm that created a [00:01:24] vast network of online pedophiles and [00:01:27] was helping these offenders find sexual [00:01:30] abuse material one year later still no [00:01:33] accountability from Instagram no justice [00:01:35] for the victims and no incentive for the [00:01:37] platform to do better A Child Survivor [00:01:40] who goes by the name L recently wrote to [00:01:42] me and said do not let what happened to [00:01:44] me happen to any more children do not [00:01:47] wait to pass much needed Child [00:01:49] Protection legislation do not hesitate [00:01:52] because lives are at stake I believe [00:01:54] that the public agrees in a recent poll [00:01:58] 2third of people in the poll [00:02:00] said that children and teens are neither [00:02:02] not too safe or not safe at all online [00:02:05] ask any parent or grandparent and I'm [00:02:07] one of uh grandparent category about [00:02:11] what they think when the kids grab these [00:02:12] phones and head off to their rooms [00:02:16] what's happening you just don't know you [00:02:18] sure as hell just don't know and even [00:02:20] the best intended kids end up becoming [00:02:23] victims if they're not careful an even [00:02:25] larger majority 87% agree it's important [00:02:28] for Congress to do something [00:02:30] to address the harmful impact of social [00:02:32] media Congress cannot fail we need you [00:02:36] to continue to stand up and speak up [00:02:39] sometimes it's painful to tell your [00:02:40] story but it's just the only way that [00:02:42] this is going to reach a place where we [00:02:44] want to we can make families and Kids a [00:02:47] hell of a lot safer if we have the [00:02:49] courage politically to do it I'm happy [00:02:51] to be partner in this [00:02:53] effort most unlikely I had couple in in [00:02:56] Washington but I want to bring up now [00:02:58] lindsy Graham South [00:03:01] thank you Mr chairman uh I want to thank [00:03:03] you for your leadership 21 to nothing in [00:03:05] the Judiciary Committee I don't think we [00:03:08] could make Sunday you know or Saturday [00:03:10] holiday 21 to nothing why because we [00:03:12] care about you we wouldn't be talking [00:03:15] about this bill if it weren't for you [00:03:16] and your stories okay if you wonder if [00:03:19] it matters what you do it matters a lot [00:03:22] so we're not giving up as a matter of [00:03:24] fact we're making progress we've had [00:03:26] people who were gone up and maybe I [00:03:28] shouldn't [00:03:30] we're having people to reach out to us [00:03:31] for the first time would you be willing [00:03:33] to change things a little bit maybe so [00:03:36] that's the way the legislative process [00:03:38] works but up until now nobody really [00:03:41] gave a damn about what you said you'd [00:03:43] come up here and make elegant statements [00:03:46] Senator Derman and I would pass bills 20 [00:03:48] nothing they'd go to the floor and die [00:03:50] it happened when we were in charge those [00:03:52] days are behind us right do you all [00:03:54] agree enough there's a sickness in [00:03:56] America and we're going to provide a [00:03:58] cure what does that sickness [00:04:02] children not just children young adults [00:04:05] people of all ages all sizes all [00:04:08] backgrounds are exploited [00:04:11] online [00:04:13] Sean what is it when you have been [00:04:16] exploited against your will and those [00:04:19] images are continued to be repeated over [00:04:22] and over again and you ask the company [00:04:24] involved in showing the abuse to take it [00:04:28] down they don't you should be be able to [00:04:30] do something about it most Americans [00:04:32] can't believe that these companies have [00:04:36] no accountability they're the largest [00:04:38] companies in the history of the world [00:04:41] they're immune from [00:04:43] lawsuit of all the people I would give [00:04:45] blanket immunity to social media [00:04:47] companies will be at the bottom of the [00:04:49] list not the top of the list the [00:04:51] internet is welldeveloped for those who [00:04:53] worried about liability stopping [00:04:55] development internet is welldeveloped [00:04:56] there's a good side and there's a dark [00:04:59] side we're going to deal with the dark [00:05:00] side section 230 which prevents citizens [00:05:04] from suing based on harm done to them [00:05:07] and their families uh that needs to go [00:05:11] until we get it repealed completely [00:05:13] we're going to do several small things [00:05:16] that should have been done yesterday so [00:05:18] your bill Mr chairman Stop Cam is pretty [00:05:21] simple we're going to change the law [00:05:24] that if you go to a social media outlet [00:05:26] and you tell them you're running photos [00:05:29] or your SES being used to show the abuse [00:05:32] that I suffered would you please stop [00:05:35] and they blow you off and do nothing you [00:05:37] actually have recourse [00:05:39] now so if you've got a child that's on [00:05:43] the internet being groomed by these [00:05:45] sexual predators you talk uh about [00:05:48] chairman you can go to the uh uh website [00:05:52] you can go to the social media outlet [00:05:53] and say this is harming my family would [00:05:56] you do something about it we had a lady [00:05:58] who came to to the [00:06:01] committee her daughter was being I [00:06:04] believe it was her daughter was being [00:06:06] bullied on a site and they had a no [00:06:09] bullying policy she went to the website [00:06:11] to the social media outlet and [00:06:14] complained they did nothing and her [00:06:17] child committed [00:06:18] suicide they go to court and they get [00:06:20] kicked out we're talking about putting [00:06:23] people on notice and you still do [00:06:25] nothing [00:06:27] so we made some changes to Center [00:06:30] durbanville to get more support I want [00:06:32] to walk through those changes to make [00:06:34] sure it gets us in the right direction [00:06:36] but I've never been more encouraged than [00:06:38] am right now more and more members are [00:06:40] coming on board saying I am with you and [00:06:43] less and less want to go down to the [00:06:45] floor and stop Common Sense legislation [00:06:49] we are not stopping we're going to keep [00:06:50] going to the floor until we break this [00:06:52] wall and what do this wall money and [00:06:55] influence the only reason we don't have [00:06:57] these bills passed is because of money [00:07:00] I have vowed not to take a penny from [00:07:01] these social media companies I wish [00:07:03] everybody in Congress say we don't want [00:07:05] your money anymore thank you Mr [00:07:08] chairman so let me just conclude [00:07:12] thanksat the key to getting anything [00:07:14] done in the United States Senate is two [00:07:18] things bipartisanship yes you can't do [00:07:21] it by yourself you have a leading [00:07:23] Republican and leading Democrat working [00:07:24] together and second and this is the most [00:07:27] painful part patience yes patience we [00:07:30] need you to help us in many different [00:07:32] ways but you got to understand moving [00:07:35] something as big as this Beth called [00:07:37] social media in the right direction [00:07:40] should be easy and isn't at all it's one [00:07:43] of the big i' I've tackled a couple big [00:07:45] issues in my life and you you have too [00:07:47] when I took on big tobacco and a band [00:07:49] smoking on airplanes I thought I was [00:07:51] facing the world we got it done but it [00:07:54] took some patience and hard work to do [00:07:56] it we're going to do it because we care [00:07:57] for you we care for your family CH your [00:08:00] kids and grandkids and our kids and [00:08:03] grandkids as well we're all in this [00:08:05] together those of us who love our kids [00:08:07] and our families so please stick with us [00:08:10] we're not giving up on you don't give up [00:08:12] on us okay here here thank you God [00:08:15] [Applause] [00:08:20] bless thank you very much I'm a Survivor [00:08:24] that yeah you're going to make a [00:08:26] difference it was seven [00:08:42] you I thought you [00:08:47] said [00:08:48] yeah yes that's right okay imagine a [00:08:53] world where the sexual abuse of a child [00:08:55] is recorded and circulated on popular [00:08:57] social media sites a world world where [00:08:59] you have to go to school every day [00:09:01] knowing that your teachers or classmates [00:09:04] have just seen the worst moments of your [00:09:05] life memorialized [00:09:08] online knowing that a stranger that you [00:09:10] pass on the street May rewatch that [00:09:12] video over and over again because it's [00:09:15] never taken down from websites like [00:09:18] Instagram Discord Reddit and others our [00:09:22] Law Center at the national Center on [00:09:25] sexual exploitation is representing two [00:09:27] young men who were sexually exploited at [00:09:30] age 13 their abuse was compiled and [00:09:33] uploaded to X formerly Twitter They [00:09:36] begged X to take it down finally after [00:09:40] uploading a photo of their ID X got back [00:09:43] to them saying quote we've reviewed the [00:09:46] content and didn't find a violation of [00:09:48] our policy so no action will be taken at [00:09:50] this time unquote it amassed 200,000 [00:09:54] views in just a few days and countless [00:09:56] downloads one of the young men became [00:09:58] suicid and the impact on their lives [00:10:01] cannot be [00:10:02] overstated X's argued from the beginning [00:10:05] that it had complete legal immunity [00:10:07] through this c section 230 even though [00:10:10] it knowingly possessed Cam and the [00:10:13] courts are confused despite clearly [00:10:15] knowing that this was cesam the courts [00:10:18] so far have agreed with Twitter that [00:10:20] they're immune this cannot continue to [00:10:23] stand every day big Tech scans for [00:10:26] malware and spy wear and Hollywood's [00:10:29] copyrighted content but they leave child [00:10:32] sexual abuse material to amass views and [00:10:35] money it's time to protect child victims [00:10:39] privacy the technology industry opposes [00:10:42] any effort by Congress calling for their [00:10:44] partnership in child safety this is for [00:10:46] a deeply cynical reason it's money the [00:10:50] technology industry doesn't want to [00:10:51] spend money on protecting Children [00:10:53] online time's up for big Tech we have [00:10:56] waited for 25 years for Congress to hold [00:10:59] them accountable and that is what is [00:11:01] happening right now [00:11:04] [Applause] [00:11:08] amen clearly I don't know who's speaking [00:11:11] that's enjoying hearing good afternoon [00:11:14] my name is Lori Cohen I'm the Chief [00:11:16] Executive Officer of protect all [00:11:18] children from trafficking or packed um I [00:11:21] want to thank Senator deran and thank [00:11:23] you Senator Graham um we want to thank [00:11:26] you and your offices for your support [00:11:31] and helping to bring together 17 [00:11:33] survivors and lived experience Experts [00:11:37] of human trafficking sexual abuse and [00:11:40] online online abuse to DC for our event [00:11:44] today Rising together Survivor [00:11:48] engagement in public policy and a [00:11:51] special thanks to Blair Bello for all [00:11:54] the work you personally invested to make [00:11:57] today's event a success [00:11:59] ESS pack thanks our partners IGM niosi [00:12:05] child fund Human Rights for kids and [00:12:08] rights for girls and critically Pat [00:12:12] thanks the survivors who join with us [00:12:15] today to ensure every child's right to [00:12:19] grow up free from sex trafficking and [00:12:23] online exploitation let's thank them all [00:12:26] please [00:12:34] for over 30 years pact has been at the [00:12:37] Forefront of advocacy to prevent the [00:12:40] commercial sexual exploitation of [00:12:43] children in the United States it is [00:12:46] Pack's goal to ensure survivors and [00:12:49] lived experienc experts are at the table [00:12:52] to inform lawmakers about the policy [00:12:55] issues that matter to them centering [00:12:59] Survivor voices is critical in gaining a [00:13:03] comprehensive understanding of how to [00:13:05] navigate these conversations and how [00:13:09] they inform [00:13:11] legislation two bills that the survivors [00:13:14] and lived experience experts spoke about [00:13:16] today are the stop cesam Act and the [00:13:19] ernit ACT passing the nnit act and stop [00:13:22] cesam act will serve as the first steps [00:13:26] in helping to strengthen the protection [00:13:28] of children and and holding online [00:13:30] platforms accountable thank you and it's [00:13:33] my pleasure to introduce a member of P's [00:13:37] board of directors and a member of our [00:13:40] survivors Council Katrina [00:13:42] [Applause] [00:13:48] Massie thank you Senator deran and thank [00:13:51] you Senator Graham survivors and those [00:13:54] with live experience play a crucial role [00:13:57] in policymaking process [00:13:59] having firsthand insights into best [00:14:01] practices challenges and experiences of [00:14:05] those affected by a particular issue [00:14:06] gives light to the solutions we are the [00:14:09] boots on the ground and witness daily [00:14:11] through Direct Services and everyday [00:14:14] lives how circumstances out of our [00:14:16] control keep us in a continuous loop [00:14:18] reminding us of our trauma with no [00:14:21] possibility of a true authentic [00:14:24] beginning why should we listen to [00:14:26] survivors because ultimately [00:14:29] this saves this country money the cost [00:14:32] of welfare benefits [00:14:35] incarceration and affordable and [00:14:37] emergency housing cost more than having [00:14:40] a fresh start free of stigma and [00:14:43] shame again thank you senator deran for [00:14:46] stop cesam act and thank you Senator [00:14:49] Graham for the earned act Tech has shown [00:14:52] over and over again that they aren't [00:14:54] willing to [00:14:56] self-regulate families and those [00:14:58] affected are demanding in [00:15:00] accountability in the words of our [00:15:02] departed Survivor council member Barbara [00:15:05] Amaya nothing about us with [00:15:08] us look around see us and hear us we [00:15:13] want to support your work in the entire [00:15:16] process and like you previously said [00:15:20] protecting Children online is common [00:15:22] sense thank you [00:15:26] [Applause] [00:15:31] good afternoon my name is Nate King and [00:15:33] I have the honor of serving as director [00:15:35] of policy and advocacy with [00:15:37] International Justice Mission I want to [00:15:39] thank Senator Graham and Senator Durban [00:15:42] for their leadership in this space it [00:15:45] has been uh [00:15:49] 1,539 days since the earned Act was [00:15:51] first introduced on March 5th [00:15:55] 2020 since then a version of that bill [00:15:57] has passed the Senate Judiciary [00:15:59] Committee unanimously on three separate [00:16:02] occasions yet it has never received a [00:16:05] vote on senate [00:16:06] floor this is the status quo and in this [00:16:12] fight against the growing and Global [00:16:14] problem of online sexual exploitation of [00:16:17] children the status quo is not [00:16:20] acceptable for more than 25 years mm has [00:16:24] advocated for stronger laws and law [00:16:26] enforcement to protect vulnerable people [00:16:29] from [00:16:30] violence here's the current reality at [00:16:33] an alarming scale child sex offenders [00:16:36] around the world seek traffickers online [00:16:40] in countries like the Philippines paying [00:16:43] them to live stream the sexual abuse of [00:16:45] children as directed by these predators [00:16:48] in real time a study from IGM in the [00:16:52] University of Nottingham rights lab [00:16:54] reports that in [00:16:55] 2022 nearly half a million Filipino [00:16:58] children that's one in 100 children in [00:17:01] the Philippines were sexually abused to [00:17:04] create new child sexual abuse [00:17:07] material tougher laws and incentives for [00:17:12] American technology companies to address [00:17:14] this issue are desperately needed the [00:17:17] entire industry must do more to detect [00:17:20] report and remove seam on their [00:17:22] platforms including live streamed [00:17:25] abuse we are at a crisis point where it [00:17:28] is clear that children are not safe on [00:17:31] publicly used internet [00:17:34] platforms we must find a balance between [00:17:38] the need for user privacy and protecting [00:17:41] kids online we can do it the earned act [00:17:44] helps strike that balance if the bill [00:17:47] does not receive unanimous consent today [00:17:49] we urge Majority Leader Schumer to [00:17:52] schedule a vote on the senate floor [00:17:54] before the July recess the house also [00:17:57] needs to act on this issue and we urge [00:17:59] chairman Jordan to hold a markup for the [00:18:02] bill in the house Judiciary Committee it [00:18:04] has been [00:18:07] 1,539 days survivors of this crime [00:18:10] should not have to wait a day longer and [00:18:13] the American people deserve to know [00:18:15] where their legislators stand on one of [00:18:17] the most pressing human rights abuses of [00:18:20] their time thank [00:18:22] [Applause] [00:18:27] you good good afternoon my name is Ruby [00:18:30] from the global Survivor Network I am a [00:18:33] survivor of online sexual exploitation [00:18:36] of children in the Philippines on [00:18:38] January 31st I watched The Big Tech [00:18:41] hearing from the Philippines and I want [00:18:43] to directly address the top leadership [00:18:45] of meta Discord X Snapchat Tik Tok and [00:18:50] other American tech [00:18:52] companies it is time to stop talking and [00:18:55] start taking action we are really people [00:19:00] children who are being sexually abused [00:19:03] online our abuse is live streamed and [00:19:06] even after we are rescued this footage [00:19:09] remains online take down the footage of [00:19:12] our abuse living on your [00:19:14] platforms today I wear a mask because I [00:19:18] have to protect my identity and I ask [00:19:20] you to honor that for me and for many [00:19:23] others out [00:19:25] there I was trafficked when I was a [00:19:27] teenager and was abused in front of a [00:19:30] webcam by men on computers from all over [00:19:33] the world and so many men from the [00:19:36] US they forced me to do things I didn't [00:19:39] want to do and if I didn't I was [00:19:42] punished no other child should ever [00:19:45] experience this we are doing this so [00:19:48] other kids are [00:19:50] safe Congress should urge tech companies [00:19:53] to prevent detect report and remove any [00:19:58] child sexual abuse on their sites and [00:20:00] publicly report what they are doing to [00:20:02] stop this survivors like us must be [00:20:06] compensated by offenders so we can [00:20:08] rebuild and [00:20:11] heal Congress can pass Online safety [00:20:13] laws such as the earn it act and stop [00:20:15] seesm act to protect children from [00:20:18] sexual abuse and [00:20:20] exploitation I urge all the members of [00:20:22] the United States Senate to support the [00:20:24] passage of these bills today survivors [00:20:28] cannot wait any longer for change thank [00:20:33] [Applause] [00:20:37] you uh okay so I don't know what you say [00:20:41] other than we'll just keep plugging away [00:20:44] the people in this business you're the [00:20:47] highway for this [00:20:48] filth there one thing to be abused there [00:20:51] nothing thing to share it for money and [00:20:54] have people from all over the world [00:20:56] watch it being abused for profit so to [00:20:59] these media [00:21:00] companies what are you waiting [00:21:03] on why why am I having to make you do [00:21:06] this to [00:21:09] x what are you waiting on stop [00:21:12] this you know to to meta whatever you [00:21:16] call it today stop it why you why do we [00:21:20] have to make you do [00:21:23] this if you don't stop it we're going to [00:21:26] make you do this and I I hope you pay [00:21:29] and I hope it [00:21:41] hurts thank you thank [00:21:57] you e