take a seat, cecil
by Alan Moore
Published: March 28, 2008
Members of the Georgia State Senate last week passed legislation that assuredly made former U.S. Senator Zell Miller (D-GA) smile.
Senate Bill 474, sponsored by state Sen. Cecil Staton (R-Macon), tackles one of the “kitchen table issues” often cited by Miller. Miller characterizes such issues as those that families concern themselves with each day.
S.B. 474, now awaiting a vote in the Georgia House, requires internet service providers in the state to provide content filters for parents to monitor their children’s internet activities. The bill also requires the state Department of Education to develop online safety materials and teach them to students in public schools each year, beginning in third grade. It’s really a piece of legislation that’s necessary, appropriate and needed, though not without its flaws.
Federal legislation, including the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, requires schools receiving federal funding to put in place internet filters on school computers. It’s a necessary step, to some degree. But it doesn’t cover those websites children may stumble upon outside of school. And let’s face it, school isn’t the only place kids access the internet. By providing these filters, parents can protect their children from online predators by blocking access to certain social networking sites, and prevent access to pornographic or violent content.
I can remember the mischief of my youth. Children are fascinated with the unknown. That fascination coupled with the vast content online can be a dangerous combination. Mom and dad can halt little Johnny from getting sex education on a porn site and present this information in an age-appropriate way.
All we have to do to understand the necessity of monitoring what our children see online is to watch any news channel. Kidnappings, sexual abuse, murders and suicides - they’ve all come about as a result of Myspace chats gone wrong.
Unfortunately, the legislation doesn’t come without consequence. The briefly-written bill doesn’t seem to cover many of the issues that would seemingly be included in such a law. There’s no provision dealing with fees service providers may choose to charge for the use of internet filters. S.B. 474 requires that the filters be provided but does not require providers to offer them at no cost, or for that matter, to even publicize their availability. Parents caring about what their children see online are potential sitting ducks for Georgia internet providers. The “pay up or shut up” mentality has a chance to rear its ugly head and limit the use of a necessary tool to stop sexual predators. Let’s face it, the fact that these filters mean additional work for internet providers doesn’t exactly incentivize them to promote the service.
All in all, Sen. Staton has made a seat for himself at many kitchen tables around Georgia. To the delight of many concerned citizens and parents, the legislation is not expected to have any difficulties on its trip through the House. It’s a welcome entrée and we need more of it.
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