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Sponsor seeks steep civil penalties for websites that distribute child sexual abuse material; opponents warn of unintended consequences
Summary
House Bill 752 would impose large statutory damages on websites that profit from or host child sexual abuse material (CSAM) accessible in Montana, with a 48‑hour takedown defense; proponents called it necessary, opponents including trade groups and retailers warned it risks lawsuits, misclassification and cost shifts.
Representative Lucas Schubert opened the House Bill 752 hearing in Senate Judiciary, describing a proposal to impose civil liability on websites that profit from or distribute child sexual abuse material (CSAM) accessible to people in Montana.
Schubert said the bill would base liability for profit on revenue generated from distribution to a person in Montana and would treat each unique piece of CSAM as a discrete unit of liability. The sponsor proposed a statutory damages schedule in the bill’s discussion: $5,000,000 per piece for intentional violations, $1,000,000 for negligent…
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