Republican lawmakers are proposing legislation aimed at blocking children from accessing social media on school networks that receive federal broadband subsidies. The bill, led by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), would require schools to prohibit students from using social media in order to be eligible for the E-Rate program, which provides lower prices for internet access. The E-Rate program offers discounts for internet access to schools and libraries facing poverty conditions in urban and rural areas.
While the E-Rate program is supported by Democrats and some Republicans, conservative activists have criticized it as wasteful government spending. Under the existing program, schools and libraries must have an Internet safety policy in place to be eligible for benefits. The proposed bill would also require recipients of the program to set rules limiting students’ screen time as part of their schoolwork. These restrictions would also apply to recipients of the Emergency Connectivity Fund, a federal subsidy program included in the $1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus package.
Republican lawmakers argue that social media is a distraction and could expose children to harmful content. They believe that addictive and distracting social media apps invite dangerous individuals to communicate with children online.
This legislation adds to the ongoing debate surrounding children’s online safety. Some lawmakers have introduced bills to ban children under 13 from accessing social media altogether and to require parental consent for those under 18. Concerns about the negative impact of social media on children’s mental health have prompted bipartisan support for these measures. However, digital rights groups caution that cutting off children’s access to social media may limit their ability to interact online and access positive resources, especially for marginalized groups.
The Republican lawmakers are introducing this bill ahead of an FCC meeting where a regulatory proposal to expand E-Rate eligibility to include WiFi on school buses will be discussed. Last month, Cruz and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) wrote a letter opposing the plan, claiming it violated federal law and duplicated existing programs. They argue that the program would subsidize unsupervised use of apps like TikTok and Instagram by children.
The FCC’s meeting is significant because it is the first time the agency has convened publicly since the appointment of Democrat Anna Gomez as a commissioner. This shift gives the agency a Democratic majority for the first time under President Biden and opens the door for the implementation of the Democratic agenda, including efforts to expand internet affordability programs and restore net neutrality protections.
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