Legislation ensures criminals who exploit adults or children by sharing intimate images online are held accountable
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Cornyn (R-TX) announced their bipartisan legislation to address the online exploitation of explicit, private images has passed the Senate. Current state laws offer incomplete and inconsistent protection for victims of non-consensual image exploitation and abuse. The Stopping Harmful Image Exploitation and Limiting Distribution (SHIELD) Act would provide federal law enforcement with the tools they need to crack down on serious privacy violations.
“Current laws are not sufficient to protect victims of online abuse and harassment,” said Klobuchar. “We need to provide victims, including children, with the legal protection they need when intimate images are shared without their consent. My SHIELD Act with Senator Cornyn does just that and will help ensure that exploiters will be held accountable.”
“Those who have had their digital privacy violated shouldn’t have to fear that their abusers will go unpunished,” said Cornyn. “Our legislation will help ensure criminals who share private images of others online, including explicit photos of children, are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
