Child Online Safety Modernization Act (COSMA)

The Child Online Safety Modernization Act:

  1. replaces the term "child pornography" with the more accurate "child sexual abuse material" in US federal law
  2. updates the rules requiring CSAM to be reported to The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)
    • platforms must preserve evidence of CSAM for one year (previously 90 days)
    • platforms must include additional data in reports that can assist in locating victims and perpetrators where available
  3. requires platforms to report apparent child sex trafficking and enticement to NCMEC

Latest Action: Introduced and referred to Judiciary committee on August 9, 2023
Deadline: January 7, 2025

Bill Status
Introduced
Passed First Committee
Passed First Chamber
Passed Both Committees
Passed Both Chambers
Signed
Enacted
More Info
Read the Bill: HR 5182
See all bills from U.S. Congress

All bills about Online Child Safety user-generated content

SHIELD Act of 2023

A bill to make it unlawful to knowingly mail or distribute an intimate visual depiction of an adult engaging in sexually explicit conduct or who is nude or partially nude under the following conditions:

  • With knowledge of the adult individual's lack of consent to the distribution.
  • What is depicted was not voluntarily exposed by the individual in a public or commercial setting.
  • What is depicted is not a matter of public concern.

It would specify that the individual's consent to the creation of the depiction would not establish that they consented to its distribution.

It also would make it unlawful to knowingly mail or distribute a visual depiction of a nude minor with intent to abuse, humiliate, harass or degrade the minor, or to arouse or gratify any person's sexual desire.

It would specify that anyone who violates such prohibitions, or attempts or conspires to or threatens to, would be fined, imprisoned for up to five years or both.

Latest Action: Passed out of Senate Judiciary Committee on May 16, 2023
Deadline: January 7, 2025

Bill Status
Introduced
Passed First Committee
Passed First Chamber
Passed Both Committees
Passed Both Chambers
Signed
Enacted
More Info
Read the Bill: S 412 HR 3686
See all bills from U.S. Congress

All bills about Online Child Safety user-generated content

REPORT Act

Current law requires online service providers to report content known as child sexual abuse material to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s CyberTipline. Failing to do so can result in a fine of up to $150,000.

The REPORT Act increases mandatory reporting requirements and fines significantly: $600,000 for small organizations and $850,000 for large ones on the first offense. Subsequent violations could incur fines of up to $1 million.

The measure also would allow electronic communication service providers to voluntarily preserve CyberTipline reports for longer than a year. Currently, reports can only be preserved for 90 days.

Latest Action: Passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on June 6, 2023
Deadline: January 7, 2025

Bill Status

Introduced

Passed First Committee

Passed First Chamber

Passed Both Committees

Passed Both Chambers

Signed

Enacted

More Info

Read the Bill: US S 474
See all bills from U.S. Congress

All bills about Online Child Safety user-generated content

Massachusetts H 3818

Requires that content-sharing platforms verify the following before allowing users to upload explicit content:

  • all persons depicted were at least 18 at the time of production
  • all persons depicted provided written consent for each sex act portrayed
  • the uploader obtained written consent to distribute the content

Latest Action: Referred to Joint Committee on the Judiciary on April 30, 2023
Deadline: January 2, 2024

Bill Status

Introduced

Passed First Committee

Passed First Chamber

Passed Both Committees

Passed Both Chambers

Signed

Enacted

More Info

Read the Bill: MA H 3818
See all bills from U.S. Congress

All bills about Online Child Safety user-generated content

| |

CASE–IT Act (2023)

Creates an exception to Section 230 immunity for information "harmful to minors" unless they "implement a system designed to effectively screen users who are minors from accessing such content, to the extent feasible using technology available at the time of such distribution."

Latest Action: Referred to committee on January 25, 2023
Deadline: January 7, 2025

Bill Status

Introduced

Passed First Committee

Passed First Chamber

Passed Both Committees

Passed Both Chambers

Signed

Enacted

More Info

Read the Bill: US HR 573
See all bills from U.S. Congress

All bills about Online Child Safety user-generated content