WASHINGTON—Parents and policymakers across America are looking for ways to improve the digital experience for young people.
Today, NetChoice launched SHIELD, a new campaign to encourage lawmakers and industry to work together and formulate functional and constitutional solutions. This will enable us to create a better digital experience for all Americans, our children and our families.
Working together on SHIELD, we can create a positive digital experience:
SECURE—Secure data privacy for all Americans with federal legislation and public-private partnerships.
Congress must pass a federal data privacy law that preempts state laws and respects the many beneficial uses of data that folks use every day.
HOLD—Hold child abusers accountable by prosecuting more of them, as far too many reports of CSAM offenses are insufficiently investigated and prosecuted.
Law enforcement only currently has the capacity to investigate less than 1 percent of reported CSAM violations. But when these cases are properly investigated, 75 percent of them are successful at putting predators in prison.
INVEST—Invest in child safety by equipping law enforcement with the resources required to properly investigate reports of abuse, both on and offline.
Sen. Ron Wyden’s Invest in Child Safety Act, if enacted, would provide federal, state and local law enforcement with the resources they need to combat the abuse of children online.
EMPOWER—Empower parents with educational materials to understand the safety tools available to them right now to keep their kids safe so they feel confident in making decisions about their family’s digital presence.
Companies and the government should inform parents about the children’s safety tools offered to them right now on digital devices and platforms.
LAUNCH—Launch easy-to-use resources about digital safety and security best practices.
Americans have the power to control our unique, individual uses of all types of digital tools. Easily accessible resources can help us understand the best ways to keep our data secure and our private information safe.
DEVELOP—Develop a digital literacy and safety curriculum for kids in the classroom to better prepare them for modern challenges, following examples from Virginia and Florida
Developing educational resources is key. Kids can learn about digital tools and form an understanding of healthy online practices in a classroom environment.
“With policymakers and industry working together, SHIELD can help cultivate a more positive online experience,” said Carl Szabo, NetChoice Vice President & General Counsel. “SHIELD will give Americans and our kids the knowledge and resources needed to understand and embrace digital tools and services for ourselves with confidence.”
Digital tools are vital for human flourishing in the modern world. Americans, parents and kids should be able to understand and embrace these tools with confidence, wonder and excitement.
Technology has been a powerful tool to expand human horizons. Instead of government locking kids out of these tools, creating a SHIELD can help Americans of all ages embrace a more positive digital experience.
You can find our SHIELD campaign at netchoice.org/SHIELD and watch our launch video.
Please contact Krista Chavez at press@netchoice.org with inquiries.