Vice Presidential Pool Reports of June 16, 2022

VP pool report #1 -- gather/event begins

Hi, I am your VP pool reporter for this afternoon's event and we are gathered inside EEOB for it to start, which should be any minute now.

There are about 40 people seated in chairs watching, with the participants seated at a rectangular set of tables. Harris has not arrived yet.

Here is the official announcement from the White House:

At 1:40PM EDT, the Vice President will deliver remarks announcing the launch of the White House Task Force to Address Online Harassment and Abuse. The event in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building will be pooled press and livestreamed on WhiteHouse.gov/live.

More to come,

VP pool report #2 -- event begins and background

The event began at 1:46 p.m. and is streaming.

More information below from the VP's office:

Order of speakers:

• Jennifer Klein, Director of the Gender Policy Council
• Sloane Stephens, U.S. Open Tennis Champion, survivor and mental health advocate
• Vice President Kamala Harris
• Attorney General Merrick Garland, U.S. Department of Justice
• Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Panelists:
- Matthew Herrick, survivor and advocate
- Francesca Rossi, survivor and victim advocate/Licensed Clinical Social Worker
- Mary Anne Franks, Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, Professor, University of Miami Law School
- Carrie Goldberg, prosecutor and victim rights advocate
- Melissa Diaz, Chief, San Diego County District Attorney's Office Family Protection Division

On Background from a White House Official

Today at 1:40 PM ET, Vice President Kamala Harris will launch the White House Task Force to Address Online Harassment and Abuse. Her remarks will be livestreamed at whitehouse.gov/live.

Today, President Biden signed a Presidential Memorandum establishing the Task Force, responding to the need for government leadership to address online harms, which disproportionately affect women, girls, people of color, and LGBTQI+ individuals. The tragic events in Buffalo and Uvalde have underscored a fact known all too well by many Americans: the internet can fuel hate, misogyny, and abuse with spillover effects that threaten our communities and safety offline.

Vice President Harris has long been a champion of addressing online harassment and abuse. As California's Attorney General and U.S. Senator, the Vice President led efforts to end cyber exploitation through prosecuting bad actors and crafting legislation to enhance protections for victims and to expand law enforcement resources for investigations.

Read more in the Fact Sheet: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/06/16/fact-sheet-presidential-memorandum-establishing-the-white-house-task-force-to-address-online-harassment-and-abuse/

Participants

Biden-Harris Administration

• Attorney General Merrick Garland
• U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy
• Dr. Elizabeth Sherwood Randall, Homeland Security Advisor, National Security Council
• Jen Klein, Executive Director of the Gender Policy Council
• Dr. Alondra Nelson, Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy
• Brian Deese, National Economic Advisor (TBC)

External Participants

• Sloane Stephens, U.S. Open Tennis Champion, survivor and mental health advocate
• Matthew Herrick, survivor and advocate
• Francesca Rossi, survivor and victim advocate/Licensed Clinical Social Worker
• Mary Anne Franks, Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, Professor, University of Miami Law School
• Carrie Goldberg, prosecutor and victim rights advocate
• Melissa Diaz, Chief, San Diego County District Attorney's Office Family Protection Division

Additional Background

Vice President Harris has a long record of advocating for victims of cyber exploitation.

• As California Attorney General:
  
  • The Vice President successfully prosecuted one of the first-ever cases against an operator of a cyber exploitation website.
  • She also sponsored successfully-enacted legislation to increase protections for cyber exploitation victims and to provide more tools for police investigations.
  • She convened law enforcement, the tech industry, and subject-matter experts to develop resources on how to combat cyber exploitation and support victims.
  • She created the Privacy Enforcement and Protection Unit in the California DOJ to prioritize enforcement of privacy laws.
  • She secured an agreement with leading operators of mobile application platforms to enhance privacy protections for millions of users on smartphones, tablets, and other online devices.
  • As a U.S. Senator:
    
    • The Vice President introduced legislation to make these acts of cyber exploitation a federal crime.