Cruz Leads Eyes on the Board Act to Limit Social Media Access on E-Rate, ECF-Funded Networks
Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Ted Cruz of Texas and two other panel Republicans filed the Eyes on the Board Act Wednesday in a bid to limit children's access to social media at school by requiring schools receiving federal E-rate…
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and emergency connectivity fund money to ban access to platforms on subsidized services, devices and networks. The GOP senators filed the bill ahead of expected FCC approval Thursday of a declaratory ruling allowing E-rate funding for Wi-Fi on school buses (see 2310170054). Cruz and House Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., first opposed the proposal in July (see 2307310063). The legislation would require schools receiving ECF and E-rate funding to adopt a screen time policy, similar to what the Children’s Internet Protection Act already requires. It would direct the FCC to create a database of schools’ internet safety policies. “Addictive and distracting social media apps are inviting every evil force on the planet into kids’ classrooms, homes, and minds by giving those who want to abuse or harm children direct access to communicate with them online,” Cruz said: “The very least we can do is restrict access to social media at school so taxpayer subsidies aren’t complicit in harming our children.” Sens. Ted Budd of North Carolina and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia were the bill’s other co-sponsors. Senate Commerce Republicans cited support from the American College of Pediatricians, America First Policy Institute and other groups.