Bill Overview
Title: EARN IT Act of 2022
Description: This bill revises the federal framework governing the prevention of online sexual exploitation of children. The bill establishes the National Commission on Online Child Sexual Exploitation Prevention. The commission must develop best practices for interactive computer services providers (e.g., Facebook and Twitter) to prevent, reduce, and respond to the online sexual exploitation of children. Additionally, the bill limits the liability protections of interactive computer service providers with respect to claims alleging violations of child sexual exploitation laws. The bill replaces various statutory references to child pornography and material that contains child pornography with child sexual abuse material . Finally, the bill makes changes to the reporting requirements for electronic communication service providers and remote computing service providers (providers) who report apparent instances of crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Among the changes, the bill requires providers to report facts and circumstances sufficient to identify and locate each minor and each involved individual. The bill also increases the amount of time that providers must preserve the contents of a report.
Sponsors: Sen. Graham, Lindsey [R-SC]
Target Audience
Population: Online service users potentially impacted by changes in platform practices due to the EARN IT Act
Estimated Size: 300000000
- The bill affects online platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and others because it limits their liability protections if they do not follow best practices against online child exploitation.
- Children are directly impacted because the bill seeks to protect them from sexual exploitation online.
- The general public, especially users of interactive computer services, may be affected since these platforms could change their policies or practices as a result of the legislation.
- Law enforcement agencies will have an increased ability and potentially increased responsibility to follow up on reports of child exploitation, which might change their workload and methods.
- Parents and guardians of children using online services are stakeholders because they are concerned about child safety online.
Reasoning
- I considered that the policy specifically targets interactive service providers, impacting their operational practices.
- Users of social media and other interactive platforms may experience indirect effects through changes in platform policies and practices.
- Parents and children are directly affected, particularly concerning online safety and security.
- Law enforcement could have increased workloads due to additional reporting requirements.
- Costs must cover implementation, education, and enforcement under budget constraints.
Simulated Interviews
Software Engineer (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 35 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy is crucial for protecting children.
- It might increase our workload as developers to integrate new security features.
- I'm concerned about potential invasions of privacy if content is overly monitored.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Student (Austin, TX)
Age: 16 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 18/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I feel safer knowing there are more checks online.
- I'm worried it could mean longer wait times or more restrictions on my apps.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Police Officer (Miami, FL)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The additional resources are appreciated and overdue.
- It may extend our working hours due to increased responsibilities.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 6 |
Legal Analyst (New York, NY)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- There's a delicate balance between privacy and protection here.
- This could lead to increased business for legal consultants.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Retired Teacher (Seattle, WA)
Age: 60 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 20/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm relieved more measures will protect children online.
- I hope this doesn't complicate using technology for older adults.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
College Student (Chicago, IL)
Age: 22 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I support measures to protect children, even if it means platforms become stricter.
- Our nonprofit may need to adjust its educational resources.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Tech Policy Advisor (Denver, CO)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 13/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy is a step forward in combating child online exploitation.
- It will be challenging to develop universally applicable best practices.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 10 | 5 |
Parent (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 40 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 16/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I feel a bit more at ease letting my children use social media.
- I hope this doesn’t mean more complex parental controls.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Digital Marketer (Orlando, FL)
Age: 30 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 17/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The changes might restrict how we market online.
- I'm hopeful that protecting kids doesn’t stifle creativity.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Part-time worker (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 19 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 19/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think it's important to make online spaces safer.
- I'm slightly worried about potential censorship of content.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $100000000 (Low: $75000000, High: $125000000)
Year 2: $105000000 (Low: $80000000, High: $130000000)
Year 3: $110000000 (Low: $85000000, High: $135000000)
Year 5: $120000000 (Low: $90000000, High: $145000000)
Year 10: $135000000 (Low: $100000000, High: $160000000)
Year 100: $300000000 (Low: $200000000, High: $400000000)
Key Considerations
- Potential legal challenges from tech companies regarding liability protection changes.
- Impact on innovation and investment in online services sector due to increased regulation.
- Balancing privacy concerns with increased monitoring and reporting requirements.