The REPORT Act updates how tech companies and online service providers handle reports of child sexual exploitation. Right now, when these companies discover content involving the sexual abuse of children online, they're required to report it to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). This bill makes that process stricter and broader.

The main changes require companies to keep reports about these crimes for a full year instead of just 90 days, giving investigators more time to work with the information. The bill also expands what companies must report—they now have to report not just actual abuse that's already happened, but also crimes that appear to be planned or about to happen. Additionally, the reporting requirement now covers child sex trafficking and attempts to coerce minors into prostitution or other illegal sexual activities, not just direct sexual exploitation.

To encourage compliance, the bill increases penalties for companies that knowingly ignore these reporting requirements. On the flip side, the bill protects companies and vendors that work with NCMEC from being sued over how they store and handle this sensitive material. It also protects children and their parents from legal liability if they report abuse material to NCMEC that involves the child themselves. Essentially, this bill makes the system for catching and stopping child exploitation online more comprehensive and gives law enforcement better tools to prevent crimes before they happen.

REPORT Act

Blackburn, Marsha

Revising Existing Procedures On Reporting via Technology Act or the REPORT Act This bill makes changes to the federal framework governing the reporting of crimes involving the online&nbsp;sexual&nbsp;exploitation&nbsp;of children. Specifically, the bill makes changes to the requirements for electronic communication service providers and remote computing service providers (providers) to submit reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) when they become aware of violations involving the online sexual exploitation of children. Among the changes, the bill <ul type="disc"> <li>increases the amount of time&#8212;from 90 days to 1 year&#8212;that a provider must preserve the contents of a report, </li> <li>requires (currently, authorizes) providers to report on a violation that may be planned or imminent, and </li> <li>extends the requirement for providers to report apparent&nbsp;violations involving the sexual&nbsp;exploitation of children to instances involving child sex trafficking or coercion or enticement of a minor to engage in prostitution or any other illegal sexual activity. </li> </ul> Additionally, the bill increases the maximum fines for providers who knowingly and willfully fail to submit reports. Finally, the bill limits the liability of vendors that contract with NCMEC for claims arising from storing and transferring visual depictions of child sexual abuse material (i.e., child pornography). It also limits the liability of minors, or persons acting on behalf of minors, for reporting to NCMEC's CyberTipline apparent violations involving child sexual abuse material in which the child is depicted, including a copy of the visual depiction of the minor.