US senators are taking tough measures against the use of cryptocurrency in the trade in child abuse.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have been encouraged by U.S. senators Elizabeth Warren and Bill Cassidy to step up their efforts to counteract the use of cryptocurrency in the market for child sex abuse material (CSAM).
Sen. Merrick Garland of the United States and Alejandro Mayorkas of the Department of Homeland Security received a letter from the US senators expressing significant concerns. The senators particularly asked the DOJ and DHS to publicly reveal their technical capabilities to prevent the use of cryptocurrencies in the CSAM market.
The letter stated that it is difficult for current anti-money laundering (AML) regulations and law enforcement techniques to successfully identify and stop these crimes.
The senators’ concerns were supported by research from the analytics company Chainalysis. According to the 2024 research, more people are using cryptocurrencies for CSAM trading. Cryptocurrency “mixers” and “privacy coins” like Monero are purportedly used by criminals to launder money while making it difficult for authorities to find them.
“The pseudonymity provided by cryptocurrency has allowed the payments for CSAM to “move quickly into the crypto world,” and we are committed to ensuring that Congress and the Administration have the full suite of tools needed to end CSAM and punish sellers of this material.”
The letter consisted of six questions. Three questions were aimed at considering the findings of the said federal agencies regarding crypto and its connection to CSAM. The other questions sought new tools that would allow law enforcement to identify and crack down on buyers and sellers in this market.
As previously reported by crypto.news, crypto exchange Binance was allegedly involved in facilitating transactions related to CSAM material and other criminal activities. The exchange was charged by federal authorities, and the exchange’s CEO, Changpeng Zhao, is expected to face a 36-month prison sentence.
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