
Lawmaker who lost son to suicide warns Senate that ‘big tech is the big tobacco of this generation'
This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
South Carolina House Rep. Brandon Guffey gave powerful testimony in Wednesday's Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Children's Safety in the Digital Era. Guffey knows the dangers facing children online all too well. Nearly three years ago, Guffey lost his teenage son, Gavin, to suicide in an apparent sextortion scheme.
"Protecting youth from online dangers and holding big tech companies responsible is now my life's mission," Guffey told the committee. He also issued a stark warning, saying "big tech is the big tobacco of this generation."
In his testimony, a visibly emotional Guffey recounted the night his son took his own life and the fallout.
A scammer posing as a girl convinced Gavin to turn on "vanish mode" and send explicit photos in an Instagram chat. "Vanish mode" allows messages to disappear once they are received. The scammer then threatened to release the photos unless he received money from Gavin, who sent the online predator $25, saying it was all he had in his account. This wasn't enough for the scammer, who continued to demand more money. Tragically, Gavin took his own life as a result.
The predator, however, was not done with the Guffey family. The state lawmaker told the committee that the scammer proceeded to harass himself, his son and his teen cousin. Guffey says this is because Meta took down the account that tormented his son Gavin and left the rest of the scammer's accounts up.
Hassanbunhussein Abolore Lawal, who was indicted by a Grand Jury in October 2023, was extradited to the United States from Lagos, Nigeria. He faces the possibility of life in prison.
Within a few months of taking office, Guffey was able to pass a law bearing his son's name. Gavin's Law makes sextortion, the act of blackmailing someone using explicit images or videos, a felony in South Carolina. The offense can be upgraded to an aggravated felony if the victim is a minor or if there are other mitigating circumstances, which are outlined in the law. Additionally, Gavin's Law requires South Carolina schools to teach students about the dangers of sextortion.
"Sextortion is now taught throughout the State and every kid at least has some awareness so they don't feel alone like my son did that night," Guffey told the Senate committee on Wednesday.
Guffey does not have faith in Big Tech's ability to reform itself. He recalled attending a January 2024 hearing in which Mark Zuckerberg offered what he called "a forced, pathetic apology."
Guffey is demanding lawmakers take action on Section 230, which he believes will "go down as one of the greatest disasters."
Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act distinguishes Big Tech platforms from those that would be treated as a "publisher." This absolves online platforms of legal liability for what users post.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle discussed the need for legislation to create new industry standards for Big Tech aimed at protecting America's children.
While Guffey is advocating for federal legislation, he is also calling for a cultural shift.
"I believe that in this country we've lost grace, and we have too often kicked people for the mistakes that they make, and we tell our kids that 'everything you do online will stay with you forever.' Well, imagine if you just took your darkest moment and posted it online," Guffey said to the committee.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) says it received more than 26,710 reports of financial sextortion in 2023. NCMEC says it has seen "an overwhelming increase in reports of sextortion from children and teens." The center advises parents to talk to their kids about the dangers of sextortion, but also to let them know that they need to get help and not immediately pay or comply with the blackmailer.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Country singer Conner Smith hits, kills woman walking dog in crosswalk, police say
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A woman was killed when she was hit by a vehicle while walking a dog in the Germantown neighborhood of Nashville Sunday night. Investigators have identified the driver as 24-year-old Conner Smith, a country singer and Nashville native. According to local police, 77-year-old Dorothy Dobbins was walking from a dog park and was in a crosswalk when she was hit by a pickup truck. Dobbins was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where she died. Investigators believe Smith was driving a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck north on Third Avenue North as Dobbins was crossing when he hit her around 7:30 p.m. Police said Smith showed no signs of impairment. The preliminary cause of the crash was Smith 'failing to yield the right of way' to Dobbins, the agency said in a release. As of Monday, no charges had been filed. 'On June 8th, Mr. Smith was involved in a car accident that tragically claimed a life. His heart goes out to Ms. Dobbins' family during this incredibly difficult time. Mr. Smith continues to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation,' Smith's attorney said in a statement to Nexstar's WKRN. Photos from a performance in Nashville were posted to Smith's official Instagram page Sunday, but there was no statement on the crash. Smith appeared to be back in his hometown for CMA Fest, a country music festival that took place over the weekend. His most popular songs include 'Creek Will Rise' and 'I Hate Alabama.'
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Fourth teenager charged over park stabbing
A fourth teenager has been charged following a knife attack. The 17-year-old victim suffered life-threatening injuries in the assault in Phoenix Park, in Hemlington, Middlesbrough, on 30 April. Cleveland Police said an 17-year-old boy would appear at Teesside Magistrates' Court charged with attempted murder. Three others, aged 17, 18 and 19, have also been charged with attempted murder in connection with the same attack. Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Third teenager charged over park stabbing Teenager suffers 'life-threatening' stab wounds HM Courts Service


The Hill
4 hours ago
- The Hill
Greta Thunberg deported from Israel after Gaza aid ship seized
Activist Greta Thunberg was deported from Israel on Tuesday and en route to Sweden after authorities removed her from an aid ship headed to Gaza. The climate activist was placed on a flight to France and is later set to be transported to her home country of Sweden. She along with 12 others were sailing for the shores of Gaza on the Madleen, on a trip sponsored by the Freedom Flotilla to support Palestinians in need of humanitarian assistance. Their ship was redirected to the Ashdod Port, where four passengers chose to be deported and eight others remain in custody, awaiting appearances before a judge. The Freedom Flotilla organization has said the seizure of its vessel is a 'violation of international law,' but Israeli leaders point to the naval blockade in Gaza for their actions. Freedom Flotilla leaders said in a Tuesday post on X that the eight individuals detained 'are expected to be moved to the Ramleh detention facility unless they agree to leave immediately, in which case they may be permitted to fly out of Tel Aviv as early as tonight.' 'We continue to demand the immediate release of all volunteers and the return of the stolen aid,' they added. Israeli authorities have dubbed the ship a 'Selfie Yacht' filled with celebrities who intended to use the conflict in the region to attract media attention. 'While Greta and others attempted to stage a media provocation whose sole purpose was to gain publicity — and which included less than a single truckload of aid — more than 1,200 aid trucks have entered Gaza from Israel within the past two weeks, and in addition, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has distributed close to 11 million meals directly to civilians in Gaza,' the Israeli Foreign Ministry wrote in a post on X. 'There are ways to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip — they do not involve Instagram selfies. The tiny amount of aid that was on the yacht and not consumed by the 'celebrities' will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels.'