Achieving Digital Equity is a Matter of Social and Economic Justice and is Worth Pursuing

On May 8, President Trump announced on Truth Social that he is ending the Digital Equity Act, calling it unconstitutional, illegal, and racist. In fact, the opposite is true. The Digital Equity Act is constitutional, on solid legal footing, and aims to ensure everyone in America can reap the benefits of the 21st Century’s infrastructure of opportunity: broadband. The Digital Equity Act begins with a recognition that “a broadband connection and digital literacy are increasingly critical to how individuals participate in the society, economy, and civic institutions of the United States; and access health care and essential services,  obtain education, and build careers.” The aims of the Digital Equity Act are that simple, that uncontroversial. The law is clear: The Department of Commerce shall establish programs to “achieve digital equity, promote digital inclusion activities, and spur greater adoption of broadband.” We all benefit when we are all connected—workers connect with jobs, patients connect with doctors, students connect with teachers, and small businesses connect with customers. That’s what the Digital Equity Act was designed to deliver.