Crime Subcommittee to Hold Hearing on Sex Trafficking and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act

Washington, D.C. – On Tuesday, October 3, 2017 at 10:00 a.m., the Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations Subcommittee will hold a hearing titled, “Online Sex Trafficking and the Communications Decency Act.” In recent years, there has been a spate of criminal and civil litigation against Backpage.com, a website that offers classified listings, including an extensive adult services section in which minors and women forced into prostitution are advertised. Backpage.com is considered the leading online marketplace for commercial sex and operates in 97 countries. At one point, Backpage.com was involved in 73% of all child trafficking reports that the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children receives from the general public. Despite several lawsuits, Backpage.com has not yet been held liable criminally or civilly and the online website asserts it has immunity under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. At the hearing, members will examine court interpretations about the breadth of the Communications Decency Act and its effect on online sex trafficking, as well as potential consequences of amending Section 230. Witnesses for the hearing are:

• The Honorable Chris Cox, President, Morgan Lewis Consulting
• Mr. Jeff Kosseff, Assistant Professor, United States Naval Academy
• Ms. Mary G. Leary, Professor of Law, Catholic University Columbus School of Law
• Mr. Evan Engstrom, Executive Director, Engine

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) issued the statements below in advance of this hearing. Chairman Goodlatte: “Sex trafficking is modern day slavery and we as a nation must take action to prevent this crime against humanity. Congress has taken up and passed a number of bills produced by the House Judiciary Committee to combat trafficking but this horrible crime continues to persist, especially online. Some in Congress have proposed amending the Communications Decency Act to hold websites accountable for offering classified listings that include advertisements for sex trafficking victims. At next week’s hearing, the Crime Subcommittee will examine the intersection between online sex trafficking and current law and explore the ramifications of amending the Communications Decency Act to address this crime.” Subcommittee Chairman Sensenbrenner: “Continuous advancements in technology have made life better in many respects, but such innovations have also led to despicable and dangerous behavior, such as using the Internet for the purpose of sex trafficking. This dangerous and illegal act must be addressed, which is why we will be exploring the problem in greater depth, as well as reviewing current legislation in order to determine what the next steps forward should be to solve this serious problem.” This hearing will take place in 2141 Rayburn House Office Building and will be webcast live at judiciary.house.gov.  Camera crews wishing to cover must be congressionally credentialed and RSVP with the House Radio-TV Gallery at (202) 225-5214.