Blackburn, Klobuchar Bill to Strengthen Investigation of Child Exploitation Passes Senate

This press release from Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) was published on 2026-05-22 and titled "Blackburn, Klobuchar Bill to Strengthen Investigation of Child Exploitation Passes Senate".

Blackburn, Klobuchar Bill to Strengthen Investigation of Child Exploitation Passes Senate

Safe Cloud Storage Act Would Support Organizations Assisting Law Enforcement WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) released the following statements after their Safe Cloud Storage Act passed the Senate. This legislation would provide limited liability protections to law enforcement-approved vendors to securely store and transfer child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to assist in investigations of child sexual exploitation. "Those helping law enforcement in the fight against child sexual exploitation must be able to securely store evidence of these horrific crimes," said Senator Blackburn . "Our bipartisan Safe Cloud Storage Act would ensure investigators can securely handle and store CSAM evidence in the cloud by providing limited liability protections. I'm pleased it is one step closer to becoming law and holding vicious predators accountable for vile crimes." "We must do everything we can to protect our children from online exploitation and abuse," said Senator Klobuchar. "Our commonsense, bipartisan bill would improve investigations and prosecutions by allowing law enforcement to safely store and transmit evidence using cloud systems - saving time and resources." This legislation is also co-sponsored by Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Ashley Moody (R-Fla.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). Companion legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by U.S. Representative Laurel Lee (R-Fla.). BACKGROUND In 2024, Senator Blackburn's REPORT Act was signed into law, which - among other things - provided limited liability protections for National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)-contracted vendors to store and transfer CSAM for investigative purposes. These civil and criminal liability protections were incredibly important for NCMEC as it reviews horrific evidence of child pornography during investigations of reports of exploitation received from online platforms. Other third-party law enforcement vendors similarly need the ability to store and handle this investigative material without facing criminal or civil liability. SAFE CLOUD STORAGE ACT The Safe Cloud Storage Act would build upon Senator Blackburn's REPORT Act by ensuring that law enforcement-approved vendors who assist in investigations of child exploitation are permitted to securely store this evidence that is critical to holding these criminals accountable. Specifically, this bipartisan bill would permit law enforcement-approved vendors to provide secure, cloud-based storage of CSAM evidence without facing a civil claim or criminal charge - giving law enforcement the flexibility they need as they work to investigate and target these horrific criminals. As with the REPORT Act , this legislation would require vendors to adhere to strict cybersecurity standards to ensure that this material is securely stored. Importantly, these law enforcement-approved vendors would not be shielded from civil or criminal claims under this bill's limited liability protections if they engage in intentional misconduct, negligent conduct, or if they act with malice. ENDORSEMENTS This legislation is endorsed by RAVEN, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), Thorn, International Justice Mission, National District Attorneys Association, Fraternal Order of Police, and the Child Rescue Coalition. "The Safe Cloud Storage Act is an important step toward giving law enforcement the modern tools needed to investigate child sexual exploitation more efficiently while maintaining strong cybersecurity protections. RAVEN was proud to work alongside congressional offices, law enforcement, and industry stakeholders to help advance legislation that reflects the operational realities investigators face in the field. We appreciate the leadership of Senators Marsha Blackburn and Amy Klobuchar behind this effort to better protect children online," said Jennifer Dunton, Director of Legislative Affairs at Raven . "The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) is proud to support the Safe Cloud Storage Act and thanks Senator Blackburn, Senator Klobuchar, Senator Cornyn, and Senator Blumenthal for introducing this important piece of legislation. The bill will modernize law enforcement's use of advanced technologies, enabling more streamlined investigations of cases of child sexual exploitation. We look forward to continuing our work with the bill's sponsors to see this legislation advance," said Michelle DeLaune, CEO of NCMEC . "Thorn is proud to endorse the Safe Cloud Storage Act and is grateful for Senator Blackburn and Senator Klobuchar for their leadership on this legislation. This Act would make a critical legal update that would allow law enforcement to safely use cloud storage in the process of investigating child sexual exploitation and abuse victims. This update will allow la