Driven by the tragic loss of his son to a sextortion scheme in 2022, South Carolina Representative Brandon Guffey has made it his mission to hold social media platforms accountable for online safety. Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Guffey delivered a powerful message, likening "big tech" to the tobacco industry of this generation.

Guffey recounted the heartbreaking details of his son Gavin's final night. A scammer, posing as a girl on Instagram, manipulated Gavin into sharing explicit photos using the platform's "vanish mode." The scammer then demanded money, threatening to release the photos. Despite paying the scammer, the harassment continued, tragically leading Gavin to take his own life.

The ordeal didn't end there. Guffey explained that the perpetrator continued to target him and other family members through different accounts, highlighting a failure on Meta's part to address the broader issue.

In response to this tragedy, Guffey championed "Gavin's Law" in South Carolina, making sextortion a felony and mandating education in schools about its dangers. He stressed the importance of such education in preventing similar tragedies.

Guffey also expressed his skepticism about Big Tech's ability to self-regulate, referencing a 2024 hearing with Mark Zuckerberg that he found inadequate. He specifically called for reform of Section 230, arguing that it shields online platforms from responsibility for user-generated content.

Beyond legislative action, Guffey called for a cultural shift in how we address online behavior, emphasizing the need for grace and understanding in a world where digital footprints can have lasting consequences. He cited the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's alarming statistics on financial sextortion, urging parents to discuss these dangers with their children and to emphasize seeking help if targeted.