The National Cable & Telecommunications Association has
joined with a host of other companies and trade groups to push for swift House
action on an online education bill.
In a letter being circulated March 5, cable and telephone
operators joined with academics and Common Sense Media, among others, to
support the Adolescent Web Awareness Requires Education (AWARE) Act (HR 3630).
The
bill, introduced last fall, provides grants for an Internet crime and
cybercrime awareness and prevention program, particularly efforts related to
protecting kids.
"Congress can most immediately and effectively impact
potential online risks by enacting Internet safety and digital media literacy
measures in schools to prevent harm from occurring in the first place,"
the groups wrote in a letter to the leadership of the House Judiciary
Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism & Homeland Security. "We know that
infusing basic online safety and digital citizenship messages for all students
at the K-12 level is critical," they said. The subcommittee held a hearing
last fall on cyber-bullying.
"We strongly support swift passage of H.R. 3630, the
Adolescent Web Awareness Requires Education Act of [the bill]," they said.
"This urgently needed legislation will equip parents and teachers with
tools to teach children how to safely, securely and ethically use the Internet.
It will also support peer-driven Internet safety initiatives and develop public
education campaigns to promote awareness of online risks and improve the health
of young people."
