Born into Porn But Rescued by Thorn: The Demand for Tech Companies to Scan and Search For Child Sexual Abuse Images

Abstract

As the internet continues to evolve, perpetrators responsible for disseminating child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”) online have learned to adapt. These illicit photos and videos continue to circulate at an uncontrollable rate due to technology companies' lack of action in regulating their platforms. Despite efforts to increase resources and implement necessary measures to curb this issue, approaches across companies are inconsistent, unilateral and often concealed. This Note proposes a modification of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act to alter the definition of the “good faith” standard, which in turn will require all interactive computer service providers to introduce a detection software to their platforms which will actively scan and ultimately delete all CSAM.