Bowling Green Today

House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie recently addressed a hearing focused on enacting online safety measures to safeguard children. The session, titled "The World Wild Web: Examining Harms Online," emphasized the importance of these measures after the tragedy involving Elijah Heacock, a 16-year-old from Kentucky. Elijah took his life after falling victim to online extortion.

The committee plans to vote on the proposed TAKE IT DOWN Act, aimed at tackling issues of 'revenge pornography' by criminalizing the publication or threat of such acts. The Act requires swift removal of harmful content by websites within 48 hours upon request from victims.

Chairman Guthrie shared his commitment to bipartisan cooperation, highlighting the need to protect children. He remarked, "I wish I could say that we had in place everything we needed to keep our children safe online, and we weren't having this hearing today." He also expressed the urgency of passing the TAKE IT DOWN Act, emphasizing, "We're going to move on the TAKE IT DOWN Act, that's why we're having this hearing today to get this moving quickly."

Guthrie dedicated time to honoring Elijah Heacock, recognizing the impact of his life and tragic death on the community. He expressed the importance of the measures being discussed saying, "It was a kid that everybody loved, she said 'I couldn't believe people from five counties showed up to be at his funeral. I didn't know he touched that many lives.'"

Guthrie reaffirmed his commitment to working across party lines to ensure the protection of children, asserting, "I really hope that... we make this bipartisan, because it absolutely has to be bipartisan because it touches everybody, and everybody's district."

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