S.Amdt. 3749

The STOP CSAM Act of 2025 (Strengthening Transparency and Obligations to Protect Children Suffering from Abuse and Mistreatment Act of 2025) is an amendment to bill S. 2296. Its purpose is to increase protections for child victims, hold tech companies accountable for child sexual exploitation, and expand legal remedies for victims.

The amendment aims to change or add the following to the bill:

Court Protections and Victim Support

• Updates definitions for psychological abuse and exploitation and creates the term covered person to include victims of physical abuse, sexual abuse, exploitation, or kidnapping.
• Protects protected information (such as names, addresses, and medical records) of covered persons from public disclosure in federal court.
• Authorizes funding for guardians ad litem ($25 million per year) and the appointment of trustees to manage restitution payments for victims ($15 million per year).

Tech Industry Accountability

• Mandates that providers report apparent child pornography or planned violations to the NCMEC CyberTipline within 60 days of obtaining knowledge.
• Requires large providers (over 1 million monthly users and $50 million in revenue) to submit an annual report to the Attorney General and FTC regarding their safety policies, tools, and the prevalence of abuse on their platforms.
• Establishes criminal and civil penalties for providers that fail to report abuse or preserve materials.
• Makes it unlawful for an interactive computer service to intentionally host child pornography or knowingly facilitate specific child exploitation crimes.

Civil Remedies for Victims

• Expands the private right of action, allowing victims of child sexual exploitation to sue for personal injuries.
• Creates a new civil remedy allowing victims to sue interactive computer services or app stores that intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly promote or aid and abet child exploitation.
• Provides for the recovery of actual damages, liquidated damages of $300,000, attorney fees, and potential punitive damages.
• Specifically states that Section 230 of the Communications Act of 1934 cannot be used to limit these civil claims.