STOP CSAM Act of 2025
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The STOP CSAM Act would require online platforms to report child sexual exploitation to the CyberTipline within 60 days, create new criminal and civil penalties for platforms that fail to comply or that knowingly host child sexual abuse material, and expand courtroom protections for child victims and witnesses.
It would also let victims sue platforms and app stores directly for hosting or facilitating exploitation, marking a significant expansion of legal accountability for tech companies over child sexual abuse material on their services.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would overhaul federal law on online child sexual exploitation. It would expand courtroom privacy and support protections for child victims and witnesses, including kidnapping victims and those now over 18 who were minors when victimized. It would create a statutory process for courts to appoint trustees to hold restitution payments for vulnerable victims. It would require electronic communication and remote computing service providers to report exploitation to the CyberTipline within 60 days, specify what those reports must contain, and impose criminal fines up to $5,000,000 and civil penalties up to $1,000,000 for noncompliance. It would also create a new criminal offense for providers that intentionally host or store child pornography or knowingly facilitate exploitation, and a new civil cause of action letting victims sue providers and app stores for damages of at least $300,000. It would not eliminate existing Section 230 liability protections for unrelated conduct, and it preserves existing federal, state, and tribal victim remedies. Defenses exist for providers using encryption and for those who remove material within set timeframes.
Key provisions
- 1Would expand federal courtroom privacy, support, and procedural protections for child victims and witnesses, including kidnapping victims and those who were minors at the time of the crime.
- 2Would authorize courts to appoint trustees or fiduciaries to manage restitution payments for minor, incompetent, or vulnerable victims and would authorize $15,000,000 annually for this purpose.
- 3Would require providers to report apparent child sexual exploitation to the CyberTipline within 60 days of obtaining knowledge, with specified required content.
- 4Would establish criminal fines (up to $5,000,000) and civil penalties (up to $1,000,000) for providers that fail to report, fail to preserve material, or submit false reports.
- 5Would create a new criminal offense for providers that intentionally host or store child pornography or knowingly promote or facilitate specified sexual exploitation offenses.
- 6Would create a new civil cause of action allowing victims to sue providers and app stores for hosting, promoting, or facilitating child sexual exploitation, with liquidated damages of at least $300,000.
- 7Would require large providers to submit annual transparency reports on their child-safety practices to the Attorney General and the FTC, to be published with redactions.
Who would be affected
Electronic communication and remote computing service providers, interactive computer services, app stores, and domain name registrars would face new reporting duties and liability exposure. Child victims and witnesses in federal court, minor victims of trafficking and abuse offenses, NCMEC, the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, and federal courts administering restitution trusts would all be affected.
Why it matters
Large tech platforms would face significant new compliance costs, reporting obligations, and legal exposure, including large fines and victim lawsuits, for failing to detect or report child sexual abuse material. Child victims would gain stronger courtroom privacy protections, a more structured restitution process, and a new direct path to sue platforms for damages.
What would change
Changes to existing law
Amends 18 U.S.C. § 3509 (child victim and witness protections) (Sec. 2)
Expands definitions and protections to cover kidnapping victims, adds 'covered person' and 'protected information' concepts, and strengthens presumptions against public disclosure.
Amends 18 U.S.C. §§ 1593, 2248, 2259, 2429, 3664 (restitution statutes) (Sec. 3)
Creates a trustee/fiduciary system for holding restitution payments and revises restitution calculation and definitions for child pornography offenses.
Amends 18 U.S.C. § 2258A (CyberTipline reporting) (Sec. 4)
Rewrites provider reporting duties, required report contents, and creates new criminal and civil penalties for noncompliance, plus a new annual transparency report requirement.
Amends 18 U.S.C. § 2258B (provider liability protections) (Sec. 4)
Narrows existing liability protections by adding an exception for providers who knowingly fail to comply with reporting requirements.
Amends 18 U.S.C. § 2258C (NCMEC information sharing) (Sec. 4)
Expands information-sharing authority to cover entities beyond providers and the Child Victim Identification Program.
Creates 18 U.S.C. § 2260B (new offense) (Sec. 4)
Creates a new criminal offense for providers that intentionally host or store child pornography or knowingly promote or facilitate specified exploitation offenses.
Amends 18 U.S.C. §§ 2255, 2255A (civil remedies for victims) (Sec. 5)
Expands the existing private right of action and creates a new civil remedy against interactive computer services and app stores for facilitating exploitation.
Agencies directed to act
Effective dates
- Amendments to child victim and witness protections apply to conduct before, on, or after enactment
- New provider reporting requirement amendments take effect
- Deadline for large providers' first annual transparency report to the Attorney General and FTC
Funding and costs
- $25,000,000
to support courts implementing child victim guardian ad litem and related protections
- $15,000,000
to support courts administering victim restitution trusts and fiduciary appointments
Congressional Budget Office estimate
CBO estimates the STOP CSAM Act would cost $161 million in discretionary spending (subject to appropriation) over the 2026–2030 period, while its effects on direct spending and revenues would each be less than $500,000 over the 2026–2035 period.
CBO estimates that enacting S. 1829 would require $161 million in discretionary appropriations (congressionally approved funding) over the 2026–2030 period, driven mainly by $134 million to expand court services such as guardians ad litem and trustees for child victims, $23 million for federal agencies to process new annual reports from large internet platforms, and $4 million to upgrade the CyberTipline. The bill's new criminal and civil fines and court fees would increase both direct spending (mandatory outlays) and revenues by less than $500,000 each over the 2026–2035 period — a negligible effect on the deficit. CBO identified intergovernmental and private-sector mandates on interactive computer service providers (such as social media platforms and municipal broadband providers) to expand reporting of child exploitation, but estimates the costs of both mandates fall below UMRA's annual thresholds ($103 million for intergovernmental, $206 million for private-sector in 2025).
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 106.
Official CRS summary
Show the CRS summaryHide the CRS summary
This bill revises the federal framework governing the prevention of online child sexual exploitation to expand protections for victims, expand requirements for electronic communication service providers and remote computing service providers (providers), and expand related penalties and remedies.
The bill extends protections for child victims and witnesses who testify in federal court (e.g., privacy protections) to child victims and witnesses of kidnapping offenses and to child victims and witnesses who were under 18 years of age at the time of the crime, even if they are 18 or older at the time of court proceedings.
Additionally, the bill establishes statutory procedures for courts to appoint a trustee to hold restitution payments for certain victims (e.g., minor victims) of offenses involving human trafficking, sexual abuse, child sexual abuse material, illegal sexual activity and related crimes, or crimes of violence.
The bill requires providers to report online child sexual exploitation to the CyberTipline (i.e., the national reporting system for online child sexual exploitation) within 60 days. Reports must include specified information, such as information about repeat offenders. The bill establishes criminal and civil penalties for providers who fail to comply with the requirements.
Finally, the bill prohibits providers from hosting or storing child pornography or knowingly facilitating the sexual exploitation of children and allows victims to pursue civil remedies.
Legislative subjects
Advanced technology and technological innovations; Child safety and welfare; Civil actions and liability; Computers and information technology; Crime and Law Enforcement; Crime victims; Crimes against children; Criminal procedure and sentencing; Digital media; Domestic violence and child abuse; Evidence and witnesses; Federal district courts; Government information and archives; Intergovernmental relations; Internet, web applications, social media; Judicial procedure and administration; Law enforcement administration and funding; Legal fees and court costs; Pornography; Sex offenses; Smuggling and trafficking