Federal News in Brief

Congress Signs Off on Bill To Protect Children Online

By Ann Bradley — October 07, 2008 1 min read
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The U.S. Senate last week approved a bill aimed at protecting children when they surf the Internet. It requires schools receiving federal E-rate funds to offer education about online behavior, including social networking, chat rooms, and cyberbullying.

The safety provisions were included in the Broadband Data Improvement Act, which also has been approved by the U.S. House of Representatives. President Bush is expected to sign the legislation.

The measure calls for the creation of an interagency working group to identify and encourage technologies and initiatives to help parents protect their children from unwanted content, and calls for the Federal Trade Commission to conduct a national public-awareness campaign.

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A version of this article appeared in the October 08, 2008 edition of Education Week

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