Exposure to educational television has been shown to have positive effects on the social, intellectual, and educational development of children. Is it possible to find truly educational content on broadcast television? Articles below deal with 1) television broadcasters' obligation to provide educational programming for children, 2) efforts to shield children from indecenct programming, 3) advertising aimed at children and 4) children and violence.
Children and Media
National AI Policy Framework
The White House released its National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence (AI), which includes several priorities:
What Does the Digital Inclusion Community Have to Say About AI?
On a chilly early-February week in Chicago, Illinois, digital inclusion advocates, practitioners, and researchers gathered for the annual Net Inclusion conference, hosted by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA). At Net Inclusion, members of the digital inclusion community share resources, brainstorm new initiatives, and teach each other about best practices to close the digital divide. A dominant theme at Net Inclusion 2026 was artificial intelligence (AI).
Sen Blackburn Releases Discussion Draft of National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence
Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) released a discussion draft of her legislative framework to codify President Trump’s
Public Knowledge Warns Against Bills Limiting Children’s Internet Access, Barring States from Protecting Kids Online
Congress passed out of committee a package of bills aimed at kids’ online safety. The bills range from uncontroversial, bipartisan Federal Trade Commission study bills to those facilitating privacy-threatening surveillance. Lawmakers continue spending time on bills that simply pass on the responsibility for child safety online entirely to parents, rather than pushing platforms to make their products safer for everyone.
Enforcement Policy Statement Promoting the Adoption of Age-Verification Technology
The Federal Trade Commission will not bring an enforcement action under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA Rule) against certain website and online service operators that collect, use, and disclose personal information for the sole purpose of determining a user’s age via age verification technologies.
How Teens Use and View AI
A majority of U.S. teens say they use AI chatbots, including about three-in-ten who do so daily. But what are they using them for? And how do they think artificial intelligence (AI) will impact their lives? Teens turn to chatbots like ChatGPT, Copilot and Character.ai for a variety of things – but information seeking and schoolwork help top the list, while “for fun” is not far behind:
America’s problem with Europe’s online speech rules
As the transatlantic standoff over content moderation rages on, tech industry groups and advocates are arguing that something doesn’t quite add up about the U.S.’s position regarding online speech.
Sen Markey Celebrates 30 Years of E-Rate Program That Keeps Communities Connected
Thirty years ago, when I created the E-Rate program, I believed deeply that access to information and opportunity should never depend on a child’s zip code or family income. E-Rate was built on a simple idea: if we connect every school and every library to the digital world, we can unlock the full potential of every student. For three decades, E-Rate has delivered on that promise, connecting classrooms, libraries, and communities in Massachusetts and across the United States.
New Research from Girl Scouts of the USA Finds Girls Turn to Screens Out of Boredom and Fear of Missing Out
Girl Scouts of the USA is sounding the alarm: more than half (56%) of girls, ages 5 to 13, are spending time online to fight boredom, with many (52%) feeling overlooked as parents remain glued to their own devices. New research released today highlights the need for families to reset digital habits and model healthier online behavior. There is pressure and a pull to be online because girls don’t want to miss out, but they’re also online because they’re bored.