U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) have sent urgent letters to several digital advertising platforms, including Amazon and Google, following a bombshell report revealing that their advertising technologies placed ads on a website known to host and distribute Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).
The report, shared exclusively with the Senators before its public release, highlights alarming lapses in oversight that allowed ad revenue to flow to platforms facilitating illegal and exploitative content.
READ: Florida, Indiana Lawmakers Urge FCC To Investigate CCP-Linked Advertising During Super Bowl
In their letters, Senators Blackburn and Blumenthal expressed “profound concern” that Amazon’s advertising technology had been used to monetize imgbb.com, a website identified by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) as hosting CSAM since at least 2021.
The Senators also reached out to ad verification firms DoubleVerify and Integral Ad Science, as well as industry standards bodies Media Rating Council and Trustworthy Accountability Group, demanding answers and immediate action.
“We write to express our profound concern that Amazon’s technology has been used to monetize websites that have been known to host child sexual abuse material (CSAM),” the Senators wrote. “Recent research indicates that Amazon has facilitated the placement of advertising on imgbb.com, a website that has been known to host CSAM since at least 2021, according to transparency reports released by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). The dissemination of CSAM is a heinous crime that inflicts irreparable harm on its victims. When digital advertising technologies place advertisements on websites that are known to host such activity, they have in effect created a funding stream that perpetuates criminal operations and irreparable harm to our children.”
READ: PACT Launches $10 Million Campaign Targeting Personal Injury “Billboard Attorneys”
The Senators emphasized that the production, distribution, sale, or possession of CSAM violates federal law and Amazon’s own policies, which prohibit ads from appearing on websites hosting illegal or explicit content. Despite these policies, Amazon’s advertising technology reportedly continued to monetize imgbb.com for at least three years after NCMEC flagged the site.
“Amazon’s actions here—or in best case, inaction—are problematic for several reasons,” the letter continued. “It remains unclear whether Amazon has ceased its relationship with the website identified in this report, and it is deeply troubling that you have continued to monetize the website for at least three years since NCMEC first identified the website as a purveyor of CSAM.”
READ: White House Fires Back At Washington Post Over “Misleading” Claims On NIH Policy
The Senators also raised concerns about the lack of transparency for advertisers, noting that many cannot access page URL-level reports to determine where their ads are placed. This opacity prevents advertisers from knowing whether their ads have appeared on platforms violating federal law or their own policies.
“It is imperative that your company take immediate and comprehensive action to address this issue and ensure that you are not funding these heinous crimes against children,” the Senators wrote.
They urged Amazon and other AdTech firms to implement stricter safeguards, improve transparency, and sever ties with platforms hosting illegal content.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Connect with us: Follow the Tampa Free Press on Facebook and Twitter for breaking news and updates.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
