S. 3397: Ending Coercion of Children and Harm Online

This bill, titled the "Ending Coercion of Children and Harm Online" or "ECCHO Act," aims to address and criminalize the coercion of minors (individuals under 18) to commit acts that would cause harm to themselves or others. It seeks to include various forms of coercion and harmful actions within legal definitions and establish penalties for offenders.

Key Provisions of the Bill

Definition of Coercion

The bill defines coercion to include actions such as:

• Using extortion, threats, fraud, or deceit
• Intimidation, harassment, or manipulation

Covered Acts

Covered acts, which refer to specific harmful behaviors that could be coerced, include:

• Doxxing (publishing personal information to intimidate or harass)
• Swatting (making false reports to provoke a police response)
• Other actions that may lead to serious harm

Criminal Offenses Defined

The bill outlines several specific actions that would be criminalized when coerced, including:

• Encouraging a minor to die by suicide or attempt suicide
• Instigating a minor to kill or attempt to kill any person or animal
• Coercing a minor to inflict serious bodily harm
• Encouraging actions that involve arson or other significant criminal acts

Penalties for Violations

Anyone found guilty of violating the laws established by this bill would be subject to severe penalties, including:

• Fines and imprisonment, with potential sentences of life in prison for the most serious offenses
• Up to 30 years of imprisonment for less severe offenses

Amendments to Existing Laws

This bill also proposes amendments to existing laws in Title 18 of the United States Code to include provisions related to online coercion of children, thereby reinforcing the legal structure around child protection.

Severability Clause

The bill includes a severability clause, meaning if any part of the law is found unconstitutional, the remaining provisions will still stand.

Relevant Companies

• GOOGL - Alphabet Inc.: As the parent company of Google and YouTube, significant changes to their content moderation and reporting responsibilities may arise if they inadvertently host content that violates this bill.
• FB - Meta Platforms, Inc.: As a major social media provider, Facebook and Instagram may need to enhance their compliance measures to prevent coercive activities on their platforms.