Federal Communications Commission Chair William Kennard said May 4 that schools and libraries that receive federal e-rate subsidies for Internet connections should adopt acceptable-use policies to shield children from inappropriate material online. “The idea makes a lot of sense,” said Kennard. “As schools around the country think about how they are going to use technology in the classroom, they should also think about how to use it responsibly.”
Kennard’s statement follows a proposal made by the Clinton administration last month when National Telecommunications and Information Administration head Larry Irving called for the FCC, which oversees the e-rate program, to require the policies as a condition of receiving the subsidies.
Kennard also announced a Parents, Kids, and Communications page on the FCC Web site that provides information on technologies parents can use to protect their children from harmful or inappropriate material.
Legislation pending in Congress would mandate schools and libraries to use filtering software as a condition of receiving the e-rate funds.
Posted May 10, 1999.