Yesterday, two Democratic legislators held a press conference in support of their legislation that would provide $35 million in grant money for online safety education.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) and Sen. Robert Menedez (D-N.J.) spoke about the School and Family Education about the Internet (SAFE Internet) Act at the press conference.
The proposed legislation would develop and support programs to educate teachers, parents and school children about Internet safety, including “sexting” sexually explicit photos or text messages between children and young adults.
While there is no current timetable for when the legislation will be introduced, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) has thrown its support behind the initiative.
“We applaud Senator Menendez and Representative Wasserman Schultz for their commitment to ensuring and enhancing Internet safety for children and families,” said NCTA President and CEO Kyle McSlarrow. “We have long supported programs that improve online safety and increase Internet and digital literacy, and we agree that digital literacy education in our nation’s schools can play a valuable role in achieving these objectives. We support this legislation and would encourage Members of Congress to do the same.”
