Submitted by Office of Gov. Mike Braun
Governor Mike Braun is taking decisive action to empower parents and protect Hoosier children from online predators and to raise the penalty on child predators who exploit children with child sex abuse material.
On Wednesday, April 1, Gov. Braun ceremonially signed two major bills into law to protect Hoosier kids from exploitation on social media and crack down on online predators. He was joined by the parents of Fishers teen Hailey Buzbee, who have courageously advocated for stronger protections for kids online.
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Braun
We are taking decisive action to empower parents and protect Hoosier children from online predators,” Gov. Braun said. “These laws put stronger protections around children online, give parents more control, and strengthen Indiana’ s ability to crack down on predators and child exploitation. We are going to keep using every tool we have to protect kids, support families, and put predators who target children online behind bars.”
The two new Indiana laws take a stronger stand for child safety both online and offline.
HEA 1408 puts up new guardrails to protect Hoosier minors online and empower parents. The law requires covered social media platforms to obtain verifiable parental consent for accounts involving Indiana users under 16, prevents direct messages and search visibility for adolescent accounts, restricts algorithm-driven recommendations and certain addictive platform features, and empowers parents with stronger tools to monitor and limit their child’s use. These protections are enforceable by the Attorney General.
HEA 1303 strengthens Indiana’s response to child sexual exploitation and abuse by raising the penalty on child predators who exploit children with child sex abuse material, creating a new offense for distribution of child sex abuse material, and tightening offender registration requirements including for offenders coming from other jurisdictions.
This action builds on Gov. Braun’s crackdown on child predators online with Operation Guardian Angel and the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Last year, Indiana State Police arrested 499 people for crimes against children and rescued 126 children from ongoing abuse, while the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received 29,635 cyber tips, a 38 percent increase over the prior year.
With nearly 7,000 tips already logged this year and the task force expanded by 50 officers to 520 across the state, Gov. Braun is mobilizing the Indiana State Police like never before to protect kids and put predators behind bars.
Huston
“The Fishers community is still grieving the loss of Hailey, and her parents’ courage in speaking out to protect other young Hoosiers has been incredibly moving. A new law passed this year strengthens Indiana’s alert system, giving law enforcement more ability to respond quickly when a child may be in danger. We also enacted new safeguards on social media, requiring parental consent for minors and empowering parents with more control and visibility into their children’s online activity. We will continue working to strengthen protections for young Hoosiers and do everything we can to keep our kids safe.”
– Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston (R-Fishers)
Garcia Wilburn
“I am thankful that we were able to honor Hailey by getting this legislation to protect Hoosier kids across the finish line. Law enforcement needs as many tools in the toolbox as possible to stop child predators. As the Fishers community continues to grieve Hailey and reflect on the work that has been done this year to prevent future tragedies, I plan to have more conversations with constituents about additional guardrails on social media and steps we can take at the legislature to keep our children safe.”
– State Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn (D-Fishers)
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