At the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, we are making sure Congress hears the voices of sexually exploited people. Right now, we are pushing Congress to amend Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. For decades, the courts have wrongly interpreted section 230 of the CDA to shield and give broad immunity to websites that publish third-party content and facilitate online sex trafficking from any criminal liability.
To shed light on this problem, we hosted a congressional briefing featuring attorneys, parent advocates, and a documentary filmmaker and creator of the film, “I AM JANE DOE.”
The room was packed with Congressional staff, survivors, attorneys, and representatives other organizations! We hosted the event in cooperation with Rep. Ann Wagner. The Congresswoman address the room with a moving speech. Rep. Wagner introduced legislation in April to amend the CDA to better protect victims of online sex trafficking.
NCOSE Team at House Judiciary’s CDA Hearing
Our team and interns attended the House Judiciary Committee’s hearing on online sex trafficking and amending the Communications Decency Act together with our staff. The red t-shirts they were wearing said: “No More Jane Doe’s. Fight online sex trafficking. #Amend230” and sent a powerful message.
CDA Judiciary Hearing and NCOSE Team
In addition to the hearing and our briefing, we were involved with several other events the day before to call on Congress to amend the CDA. We are working hard for positive change! Our Executive Director Dawn Hawkins spoke about the role pornography plays in fueling violence against women, particularly familial violence.
