Bilirakis Bill to Improve Public Safety by Strengthening Coordination Between Law Enforcement and Big Tech Discussed During Legislative Hearing

Washington, DC: The Cooperating Among Police, Tech, and Users to Resist Exploitation (CAPTURE) Act by Congressman Gus Bilirakis was reviewed during today's Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee legislative hearing. This important legislation establishes a foundation to strengthen coordination between law enforcement and Big Tech as the entities work to combat illegal activities on social media platforms.

"Too often we've seen bad actors utilize social media platforms to facilitate crime by luring and exploiting children and other vulnerable populations," said Congressman Bilirakis. "The law enforcement community then encounters unnecessary barriers when attempting to investigate these crimes. While Big Tech has repeatedly testified that the industry is working to identify and prevent its platforms from being used to facilitate criminal acts, progress has been painfully slow. The review and policy recommendations prompted by this bill will serve as a roadmap for both industry and government leaders as we seek to tackle the problem and improve public safety."

Specifically, the CAPTURE Act will require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to issue a comprehensive report with policy recommendations for how Big Tech and law enforcement can improve coordination, with specific focus on the following areas:

• How social media companies are consulting/coordinating with law enforcement to address illegal content/activity online
• The successes and failures of such cooperation (or lack thereof)
• Ways in which social media platforms can better coordinate with those entities
• Recommendations to develop additional legislation that would assist in combatting illegal content/activity on social media platforms
• Recommendations to require social media companies to establish a single point of contact for communication and coordination efforts with law enforcement

During today's hearing, Mike Duffey from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, testified about the barriers his agency has encountered and how the CAPTURE Act will help protect Floridians. Additionally, you can click here to listen to Congressman Bilirakis's comments about the need for this legislation during today's hearing.