Press Releases

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Representatives Madeleine Dean (D-PA-04), Laurel Lee (R–FL-15), Steve Cohen (D–TN-09), and Brad Knott (R–NC-13) introduced the Safe Cloud Storage Act to help law enforcement agencies modernize how they securely store and process digital evidence related to child sexual exploitation investigations. U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R–TN) and Amy Klobuchar (D–MN) are leading a companion bill in the Senate. 

As the volume of digital evidence containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) continues to grow, law enforcement agencies are facing more challenges in storing, transferring, and analyzing this highly sensitive evidence. Many investigators are still forced to rely on outdated physical storage tools—such as thumb drives, external hard drives, and on-premise servers—which are costly, limited in capacity, and significantly slow down investigations. By enabling secure cloud-based storage and analysis of digital evidence, the legislation will help investigators process evidence more efficiently, reduce investigative delays, and strengthen the ability of law enforcement to identify victims and prosecute offenders.

The Safe Cloud Storage Act builds on the framework established by the REPORT Act, which provided limited liability protections for vendors contracted by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) to store and transfer CSAM for investigative purposes. This bipartisan bill extends similar protections to other vetted, law enforcement–approved third-party vendors who assist investigators in securely handling digital evidence.

“We must do everything in our power to protect children from abuse and prosecute those who commit such despicable crimes — that include modernizing how law enforcement stores sensitive information so they can better purse justice,” Rep. Dean said. “Many police departments still rely on older technology like thumb drives to store materials for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) investigations. Our bipartisan bill is a commonsense measure to enable law enforcement to securely use cloud-based storage, making arrests for online child exploitation more efficient. I’m grateful to my colleagues in the House and Senate for working on this important legislation.”

“Identifying victims and bringing predators to justice requires modern investigative tools,”Rep. Lee said. “The Safe Cloud Storage Act updates how law enforcement securely handles digital evidence, allowing investigators to partner with trusted technology providers while maintaining strong safeguards and accountability.”

“Those helping law enforcement in the fight against child sexual exploitation must be able to securely store evidence of these horrific crimes,” Sen. Blackburn said. “Our bipartisan Safe Cloud Storage Act would ensure investigators can securely handle and store CSAM evidence in the cloud by providing limited liability protections. With this critical bill, we will continue our work to bring predators to justice and protect vulnerable children.”

“We must do everything we can to protect our children from online exploitation and abuse,” Sen. Klobuchar said. “Our commonsense, bipartisan bill would improve investigations and prosecutions by allowing law enforcement to safely store and transmit evidence using cloud systems – saving time and resources.”

“I’m proud to work with Representative Lee on this important legislation that will modernize evidence handling for some of the most horrific and sensitive cases,” Rep. Knott said. “It will enable more efficient convictions of heinous offenders, bring justice for victims, and apply strict standards for the handling and protection of sensitive evidence.”

“The volume of evidence in child sexual abuse cases requires the kinds of third-party liability protections the Safe Cloud Act would provide,” Rep. Cohen said. “I am pleased to join with Congresswoman Laurel Lee, a recognized expert in this area of the law, as a co-lead of this important and protective legislation.”

The Safe Cloud Storage Act includes:

• Extends civil and criminal liability protections currently provided to NCMEC vendors under the REPORT Act to additional law enforcement–approved third-party vendors that store or process CSAM evidence for investigative purposes.

• Requires vendors to comply with rigorous cybersecurity standards, including National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guidelines.

• Requires vendors to notify the Department of Justice within 30 days of entering into a contract with a law enforcement agency to store or process CSAM-related materials.

The bill includes strict guardrails to ensure accountability and data security. Liability protections do not apply in cases of intentional misconduct, gross negligence, or malicious acts. In addition, vendors covered by the legislation must comply with rigorous cybersecurity standards consistent with guidelines from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

The Safe Cloud Storage Act is supported by a broad coalition of law enforcement and child protection organizations, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), Raven, Thorn, the International Justice Mission, the Fraternal Order of Police, the Child Rescue Coalition, the National District Attorneys Association, the Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies, and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation.

“At Child Rescue Coalition, our innovative technology empowers law enforcement to identify and arrest child predators faster and more effectively. The SCSA strengthens and modernizes how law enforcement can securely store, share, and interact with CSAM, accelerating the identification of offenders and the rescue of victims,” Greg Schiller, CEO, Child Rescue Coalition said. “This bill reinforces trust, accountability, and innovation, ensuring critical safeguards evolve alongside the technology law enforcement relies on every day to protect children.” 

“The National Fraternal Order of Police strongly supports the Safe Cloud Storage Act. This important piece of legislation safeguards law enforcement investigations, protects officers and witnesses, and maintains public trust,” Patrick Yoes, National President said. “The FOP is grateful to the leadership of Representatives Lee and Cohen, who understand the importance of enhanced protections amidst evolving advancements in modern policing and technology.

“The Safe Cloud Storage Act is a critical step forward in modernizing how law enforcement investigates child sexual exploitation,” Jennifer Dunton, Director of Legislative Affairs, Raven said. “By authorizing secure, cloud-based storage for CSAM evidence, this bill ensures that investigators can move cases faster, identify victims sooner, and hold offenders accountable, all while maintaining the highest cybersecurity standards. RAVEN strongly supports this effort to give law enforcement the 21st-century tools they need to protect children online.”

“The Safe Cloud Storage Act will modernize and accelerate CSAM investigations conducted by law enforcement,” Nate King, Director of Policy and Advocacy, International Justice Mission said. “This needed legislation builds upon recently increased reporting requirements through the REPORT Act by ensuring that law enforcement-approved vendors who assist in CSAM investigations can legally and securely store evidence that is critical to holding perpetrators accountable, including U.S.-based CSAM offenders who direct and consume live child sexual abuse of children in countries like the Philippines.” 

“The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) is proud to support the Safe Cloud Storage Act and thanks Representative Lee, Representative Cohen, Representative Knott, and Representative Dean for introducing this important piece of legislation. The bill will modernize law enforcement’s use of advanced technologies, enabling more streamlined investigations of cases of child sexual exploitation. We look forward to working with the bill’s sponsors to see this legislation advance,” Michelle DeLaune, CEO, NCMEC said.

Rep. Madeleine Dean is a mother, grandmother, attorney, professor, former four-term member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and U.S. Representative for the Fourth District of Pennsylvania.

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