Let’s build a children’s public internet
The author proposes the creation of a 'children's public internet' funded by taxes on major tech companies to provide non-profit, safe, and educational digital spaces for minors. This initiative is presented as a constructive alternative to current legislative efforts focused on bans and age verification.
Why it matters
This proposal shifts the debate on child safety from restrictive regulation to public infrastructure investment, potentially changing how children interact with digital media.
An increasing number of people seem to agree the internet is terrible for children — allegedly addictive, destructive to self-esteem, possibly a portal to predators. Over the past year, several countries have started requiring stringent age verification or outright bans for minors. At the end of June in the US, the House of Representatives passed the Kids Internet and Digital Safety (KIDS) Act, the latest in a string of attempted online child safety regulations. A couple of days later, a Pew Research Center survey found over half of US respondents favored a ban on social media for anyone under 16. There’s a growing sense that the digital world is a public health crisis and something — no matter how extreme — must be done.
The article presents a policy proposal that advocates for public investment, which is a common debate topic across the political spectrum.
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