Sex trafficking is a heinous and tragic crime. It requires a thoughtful solution that gives prosecutors the tools they need to seek justice for victims and enables the private sector to assist in identifying and dealing with bad actors.
We appreciate the efforts of Rep. Ann Wagner and House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte to find a common-sense solution that addresses the serious problem of sex trafficking, and we support their amendments to H.R. 1865. The proposed changes would avoid the pitfalls of other legislative proposals by balancing law enforcement needs with the critical protections of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act—a law that allows online platforms of all sorts and sizes to host user content without fear of being held liable for the actions of a few rogue users on their sites.
The proposed amendments to H.R. 1865 will help make it easier to target online sex traffickers by giving law enforcement new resources and tools to locate and prosecute criminals, while ensuring that honest startups do not face potential liability for good faith actions to moderate user behavior.
The updates to H.R. 1865 ensure that sex traffickers and the companies who knowingly help them are brought to justice while protecting a law that startups and their users rely on to innovate and give Internet users new ways to connect, communicate, and create. We applaud Rep. Wagner and Chairman Goodlatte for preserving a framework that has helped countless startups launch and thrive while maximizing the capacity of law enforcement to tackle the scourge of online sex trafficking.
