Without federal dollars, ISPs may have to foot bill for digital literacy programs

In 2024, the FBI reported that annual rates of elder fraud increased 14% from 2022 to 2023. Tech support scams and personal data breaches were the top causes, of which there were over 25,000 complaints. These scams culminated in $3.4 billion in losses, averaging about $30,000 per victim. The Digital Equity Act—part of 2021's larger Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act—helped fund education programs to prevent fraud. But since President Donald Trump halted funding, internet service providers and states are left holding the bag. One example is Mamacítas Cibernéticas, a grassroots digital literacy organization in southern Doña Ana County (NM) that had relied on DEA dollars to pay for $50,000 in staff salaries and expenses annually to educate a bilingual community on cyber awareness. Maria Chaparro, who heads the organization, said it delivers approximately 91 classes to 47 participants in local housing authority and senior living center facilities. Chaparro had hoped that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s $811 million in Digital Equity funding would help pay her team for providing these services, but the program was suspended on May 9. As such, her grant application for $149,000 across three years was all for naught. For New Mexicans, there is a faint light at the end of the tunnel—some service providers have funded digital literacy initiatives in rural areas where they offer services.