Ranking Member Graham on Protecting Children Online: “It Is Now Time For Us To Act”

WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) spoke today about children’s online safety and the lack of accountability from Big Tech.

• GRAHAM: “The American consumer is virtually unprotected from the abuses of social media. Of all Americans, I think, young people are the most exposed here. Parents feel helpless. There is somebody affecting your kids that you will never see, and a lot of times it’s a machine. Who is watching the machine, if at all?” https://youtu.be/A_cMKzsMtWo?t=55

• GRAHAM: “We’re going to work together the best we can to find solutions to empower consumers who are pretty much at the will of social media, and some people are having their lives ruined. It is now time for us to act.” https://youtu.be/A_cMKzsMtWo?t=182

• GRAHAM: “I want the people testifying to understand that we’re all listening to you. That all of our ears are open and our hearts are open to try to find solutions. This is the one thing, I think, that unites most Americans.”  https://youtu.be/A_cMKzsMtWo?t=8

• GRAHAM: “There is no regulatory agency in America with any meaningful power to control this. There are more bills being introduced in this area than any subject matter that I know of. All of them are bipartisan. So I want to add a thought to the mix, Mr. Chairman. I am working with Senator Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts. We have pretty divergent political opinions, except here. We have to do something and the sooner the better. We are going to approach this from consumer protection. We are going to look at a digital regulatory commission that would have power to shut these sites down if they are not doing ‘best business practices’ to protect children from sexual exploitation online.”  https://youtu.be/A_cMKzsMtWo?t=95

• GRAHAM: “There were 21 million episodes last year of sexual exploitation against children. There were [1.1 million], I think, in 2014. This is an epidemic. It is a mental health crisis, particularly for young teenage girls and we have no system in place to empower parents and empower consumers to seek justice, to fight back, and protect themselves. That’s going to change in this Congress I hope.” https://youtu.be/A_cMKzsMtWo?t=140

Click here to watch Graham’s full remarks

###