united-states criminal-law police social-media law-enforcement
When is a web-site owner obligated to report a crime?
<p>Suppose someone operates a web-based forum where users can post information for other users to view. While not a mandated reporter as defined by the state the operator lives in, the site users come from different parts of the United States and some from other countries. Would the operator be obligated to report a crime or suspected abuse which is posted by a user to law-enforcement agencies? If so, what criteria should be used to determine which agency or agencies they should report to?</p>

<p>It may depend on what offences are suspected of being committed.</p>
<p>One example is: In the <a href="/questions/tagged/united-states" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;united-states&#39;" rel="tag">united-states</a> under <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2258A" rel="nofollow noreferrer">18 U.S. Code § 2258A</a> an <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/definitions/uscode.php?width=840&amp;height=800&amp;iframe=true&amp;def_id=18-USC-987494927-970461075&amp;term_occur=999&amp;term_src=title:18:part:I:chapter:110:section:2258A" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Electronic Service Provider</a> (ESP) is required to report apparent violations of sections:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2251" rel="nofollow noreferrer">2251</a> [<em>Sexual exploitation of children</em>]</p>
</li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2251A" rel="nofollow noreferrer">2251A</a> [<em>Selling or buying of children</em>]</p>
</li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2252" rel="nofollow noreferrer">2252</a> [<em>material involving the sexual exploitation of minors</em>]</p>
</li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2252A" rel="nofollow noreferrer">2252A</a> [<em>material constituting or containing child pornography</em>]</p>
</li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2252B" rel="nofollow noreferrer">2252B</a> [<em>Misleading domain names with intent</em>]</p>
</li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2260" rel="nofollow noreferrer">2260</a> [<em>sexually explicit depictions of a minor etc</em>]</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>The report is made to the National Center for Missing &amp; Exploited Children (<a href="https://www.missingkids.org/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">NCMEC</a>) who in turn forward the information to the relevant domestic or foreign law enforcement agency.</p>
<p>The ESP is protected from commiting distribution or related offences when making the report by virtue of subsection (g)(4):</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Permitted disclosure by a provider.—</strong></p>
<p>A provider that submits a report under subsection (a)(1) may disclose by mail, electronic transmission, or other reasonable means, information, including visual depictions contained in the report, in a manner consistent with permitted disclosures under paragraphs (3) through (8) of section 2702(b) only to a law enforcement agency described in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of paragraph (3), to NCMEC, or as necessary to respond to legal process.</p>
</blockquote>
