Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) has launched a formal investigation into Google following an alarming Senate hearing testimony on child trafficking and exploitation.
The senator described the testimony during a Senate hearing examining the spread of online child sex abuse material as “shocking.”
Hawley, who chairs the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, announced the investigation in a letter sent to Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai.
“Yesterday, the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, which I chair, convened a hearing to investigate gaps in enforcement efforts to stop child sex trafficking,” Hawley wrote.
“The testimony was shocking,” he added.
Hearing Highlights Scale of Online Abuse
The hearing, titled “Lost and Exploited: Confronting Child Trafficking and the Failure to Protect America’s Most Vulnerable,” examined the rapid growth of child sexual abuse material circulating online.
Witnesses told lawmakers that the scale of the problem has surged dramatically in recent years.
“Witnesses described an explosion of child sex abuse material (CSAM) online, which surpassed 100 million separate images and videos of suspected abuse in 2023 alone,” Hawley wrote.
The hearing featured testimony from activist and former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, as well as family members of victims.
Lawmakers also heard evidence that many victims depicted in the material have still not been identified.
“We also learned at least **89,000 children depicted in these images remain unidentified — suffering without help — in just one single law enforcement database among many,” Hawley wrote.
“Testimony further established that Google has failed to take robust action to assist survivors.”
Lawmakers Demand Internal Google Documents
As part of the investigation, Hawley requested extensive internal records from Google related to how the company detects and removes child exploitation content.
Among the materials requested are:
• Internal policies governing the detection, review, and removal of CSAM
• Communications from victims or their families requesting the removal of abusive content since Jan. 1, 2020
• Documentation of CyberTipline reports submitted to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
• Records of cases where Google allegedly failed to remove reported CSAM within 48 hours
Hawley also asked Google to provide documentation detailing its cooperation with federal, state, and international law enforcement agencies investigating child exploitation.
In addition, the senator requested the results of any internal audits or assessments conducted since 2020, evaluating the effectiveness of Google’s systems for detecting and removing such material.
Victim’s Mother Describes Years-Long Fight
In the letter, Hawley cited testimony from a woman identified as Jane Doe, the mother of a child sex trafficking survivor.
Doe told lawmakers that images of her daughter, taken when she was an infant, remain online decades after the abuse occurred.
“I’ve been fighting since day one,” Doe said.
“That’s all I do. I contact people.”
“If we were famous, if she was a celebrity, those pictures would be down,” she added.
“She’s not famous.
“She’s famous to me, but evidently not famous enough to the world.”
Doe described repeated efforts to have the images removed.
“I have had a fight with Google about it, saying, ‘For the safety of my child, you have to get these images off … these pictures are out there. … It’s imperative that you get these things off the computer,’” she said.
According to Doe, she was told by the company that she would need to contact the website administrator directly.
“They told me I have to contact the webmaster,” she said.
Hawley Calls for New Lawsuits Against Big Tech
Hawley said the investigation is aimed at determining why major technology platforms have allowed child exploitation material to spread online.
“These victims are real people, and they deserve justice,” Hawley said.
He also urged Congress to pass legislation he has proposed that would allow victims and their families to file lawsuits against technology companies hosting such content.
“Congress needs to pass my legislation that would allow victims and their families to sue Big Tech,” Hawley said.
“Our children are more important than profit.”
READ MORE – Nancy Mace Introduces Bill to Execute Convicted Child Predators
Our comment section is restricted to members of the Slay News community only.
To join, create a free account HERE.
If you are already a member, log in HERE.