18 U.S.C. § 2258D: Limited liability for NCMEC

Summary

The law protects NCMEC, and its directors, officers, staff, and agents, from most lawsuits or criminal charges when they do CyberTipline work and other duties to find missing children and stop online child sexual exploitation. That protection ends if someone at NCMEC deliberately causes harm, acts with intent to hurt, knowingly ignores a serious risk of causing injury without a legal reason, or does something for reasons not tied to those child-protection duties. The protection also does not apply to ordinary business tasks like office administration, driving vehicles, or managing employees. NCMEC must keep the number of people who can see any images sent under the CyberTipline as small as possible and must permanently destroy those images when a law enforcement agency tells them to.

Title 18, §2258D

Crimes and Criminal Procedure, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In General.—

Pursuant to its clearinghouse role as a private, nonprofit organization and its mission to help find missing children, reduce online sexual exploitation of children and prevent future victimization, and except as provided in subsections (b) and (c), a civil claim or criminal charge against NCMEC, including any director, officer, employee, or agent of NCMEC, arising from the performance of the CyberTipline responsibilities or functions of NCMEC, as described in this section, section 2258A or 2258C of this title, or section 404 of the Missing Children’s Assistance Act (34 U.S.C. 11293), or from the efforts of NCMEC to identify child victims may not be brought in any Federal or State court.

(b)Intentional, Reckless, or Other Misconduct.—

Subsection (a) shall not apply to a claim or charge if NCMEC, or a director, officer, employee, or agent of NCMEC—

(1)engaged in intentional misconduct; or

(2)acted, or failed to act—

(A)with actual malice;

(B)with reckless disregard to a substantial risk of causing injury without legal justification; or

(C)for a purpose unrelated to the performance of any responsibility or function under this section, section 2258A or 2258C of this title, or section 404 of the Missing Children’s Assistance Act (34 U.S.C. 11293).

(c)Ordinary Business Activities.—

Subsection (a) shall not apply to an act or omission relating to an ordinary business activity, including general administration or operations, the use of motor vehicles, or personnel management.

(d)Minimizing Access.—

NCMEC shall—

(1)minimize the number of employees that are provided access to any visual depiction provided under section 2258A; and

(2)ensure that any such visual depiction is permanently destroyed upon notification from a law enforcement agency.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2018—Pub. L. 115–395, § 5(1), substituted “NCMEC” for “the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children” in section catchline. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–395, § 5(2), substituted “Pursuant to its clearinghouse role as a private, nonprofit organization and its mission to help find missing children, reduce online sexual exploitation of children and prevent future victimization, and except as provided” for “Except as provided”, “against NCMEC” for “against the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children”, “(34 U.S.C. 11293)” for “(42 U.S.C. 5773)”, “of NCMEC” for “of such center” wherever appearing, and “from the efforts” for “from the effort”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 115–395, § 5(3), substituted “if NCMEC” for “if the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children”, “of NCMEC” for “of such center”, and “(34 U.S.C. 11293)” for “(42 U.S.C. 5773)”. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 115–395, § 5(4), substituted “NCMEC” for “The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children” in introductory provisions and “visual depiction” for “image” in pars. (1) and (2).

§2258D Limited Liability for Ncmec

Summary

Title 18, §2258D

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Citations & Metadata