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S. 3023119th CongressPassed one chamberLatest action May 21, 2026Decoded by AI · checked against the record
The plain-language version leads. The official text is always the reference.
S 3023 lets approved cloud vendors store child abuse evidence for law enforcement without criminal or civil liability, if strict security rules are met.
65-second read · 4 questions answered below
S 3023 would protect cloud storage companies from criminal and civil liability when storing illegal child abuse images on behalf of law enforcement or prosecutors. To qualify, vendors must use strong encryption, restrict employee access, meet federal cybersecurity standards set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and pass an independent cybersecurity audit every year. Evidence must remain within the United States, and if a contract ends, the company must notify the Justice Department and preserve the material until it is transferred to another agency.
The bill directly affects private cloud storage and technology companies that contract with police or prosecutors, and federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies that need long-term digital evidence storage. Everyday citizens are not directly regulated but could be indirectly affected if the bill makes these crimes easier to prosecute.
Cloud storage companies currently risk criminal or civil liability simply by possessing this material, even when assisting law enforcement, which can make them unwilling to provide storage services. Without willing vendors, agencies may struggle to securely store digital evidence needed to build and maintain child exploitation cases. The liability shield does not apply if a company acts negligently, recklessly, or with bad intent.
AI-drafted summary. Verify it against the official text before you act on it. Read the official bill on Congress.gov
Right now: it passed the Senate, and the official record shows nothing new since. If the House changes it, it goes back to the Senate before reaching the President.
Latest action: — Held at the desk.