Current:Home > News1 family hopes new law to protect children online prevents tragedies like theirs -ProfitLogic
1 family hopes new law to protect children online prevents tragedies like theirs
View
Date:2025-04-13 19:18:20
A new law aims to strengthen reporting requirements for technology companies to combat online predators seeking to exploit children. One dad told CBS News that he hopes the law will save children like his son, who died by suicide after becoming ensnared in a "sextortion" scheme when he was 17 years old.
John Demay said that what started as a seemingly innocuous encounter on Instagram quickly turned deadly for his teenage son Jordan. Demay said that his son was solicited by a man, posing as a woman, who asked him to send compromising photos. Jordan did so, and then the scammer ordered him to pay up — threatening to release the images otherwise.
"Ultimately it was about money at that point. and I believe they started off around a thousand dollars," Demay said. "They were building collages with his picture and making him believe they were sending it out."
"He told them he was going to kill himself, and the perpetrator said 'Good, you better do it fast or we're going to make you do it,'" Demay continued. "And then at 3:45, Jordan shot himself in his bedroom."
Jordan's family was distraught, and the horror only compounded when they realized what he had been going through. Demay said they had "no idea what happened" on social media.
"You know, there was no signs. There was no depression, there was nothing," Demay said.
The "Report Act," signed into law by President Joe Biden last month, is meant to help kids like Jordan. The law requires social media companies to report crimes involving child sex trafficking, grooming or enticement to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's cyber tip line. The law also increases penalties for those who fail to flag such content.
Last year, the Center received more than 36 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation to its cyber tipline.
The legislation was sponsored by Georgia Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff and Tennessee Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn. The internet has been "the Wild West," Blackburn said, especially for children and other vulnerable users.
"You cannot sell alcohol to children. You can't sell them a pornographic magazine. You can't take them to a strip show," Blackburn said. "If you did, law enforcement would come in and they would padlock your business, they would haul you down to the police station, they would book you and you would be fined. But there's been nothing in the virtual space."
The law is the first to be enacted since a blockbuster Senate hearing earlier in 2024. The hearing focused on online child exploitation. At the time, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerburg issued a rare apology to families who were in the crowd. Demay was one of those watching. The new law, he believes, is the first step towards creating a safer internet.
"We have to do something. We have to be comfortable with baby steps if that's what it's going to take but I do find some peace in that," Demay said.
Ossoff said that he takes online exploitation seriously, and plans to do more to make cyberspace safer for vulnerable users.
"Look, I've got a two year old baby girl at home and it is every parent's worst nightmare," Ossoff said. "We've got to improve the safety. We have to hold the tech companies accountable to make them safe for children."
- In:
- Kids Online Safety Act
- Sextortion
- Social Media
- Meta
Nikole Killion is a CBS News congressional correspondent based in Washington D.C. As a correspondent, Killion played a key role in the Network's 2020 political and election coverage, reporting from around the country during the final stretch of the campaign and throughout the Biden transition.
TwitterveryGood! (15)
Related
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Kacey Musgraves calls out her 'SNL' wardrobe blunder: 'I forget to remove the clip'
- Sen. John Thune, McConnell's No. 2, teases bid for Senate GOP leader
- 'Real horsepower': See video of runaway horses galloping down Ohio highway
- $73.5M beach replenishment project starts in January at Jersey Shore
- Of the Subway bread choices, which is the healthiest? Ranking the different types
- A month after cyberattack, Chicago children’s hospital says some systems are back online
- Book excerpt: Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions by Ed Zwick
- Taylor Swift makes surprise visit to Kansas City children’s hospital
- Vermont father pleads guilty to manslaughter in drowning death of 2-year-old son after allegedly fleeing DUI crash
Ranking
- Spooky or not? Some Choa Chu Kang residents say community garden resembles cemetery
- EAGLEEYE COIN: Cryptocurrency's Bull Market Gets Stronger as Debt Impasse and Banking Crisis Eases, Boosting Market Sentiment
- Stock market today: Asian shares are mixed as China unveils 5% economic growth target for 2024
- Kansas continues sliding in latest Bracketology predicting the men's NCAA Tournament field
- Could your smelly farts help science?
- A record on the high seas: Cole Brauer to be first US woman to sail solo around the world
- Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' Kyle Richards’ Guide To Cozy Luxury Without Spending a Fortune
- San Francisco votes on measures to compel drug treatment and give police surveillance cameras
Recommendation
Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Sells Once Every 4 Seconds: Get 50% Off Before It's Gone
Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Dak Prescott and Sarah Jane Ramos Welcome First Baby
Spanish tourist camping with her husband is gang raped in India; 3 arrested as police search for more suspects
LA County’s progressive district attorney faces crowded field of 11 challengers in reelection bid
Sarah J. Maas books explained: How to read 'ACOTAR,' 'Throne of Glass' in order.
The Daily Money: File your taxes for free
Houston still No. 1, while Marquette and Kansas tumble in USA TODAY Sports men's basketball poll
Judge orders prison for Michigan man who made threats against Jewish people, synagogue