Congresswoman Miller Introduces The Safeguarding Children's Privacy in Schools Act of 2021

Statement

Congresswoman Mary Miller (IL-15) has been standing up for parental rights and fighting against leftist indoctrination of our children since the first day she was sworn into the United States Congress. Today, Congresswoman Miller is continuing that fight by introducing the Safeguarding Children's Privacy in Schools Act of 2021.

This original piece of legislation is a direct attack on Big Tech and House Democrats' widespread belief that America's schools and schoolchildren are better off with parents on the sidelines.

"We should all be concerned about Big Tech getting ahold of our private information - particularly when it involves our children," Miller said. "My bill reinstates direct parental consent for the collection of data on educational technology devices and platforms. This is a much-needed reform since school boards are actively blocking parental involvement in our schools and the federal government is accusing them of being domestic terrorists."

Under current law, The Child Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) does not require Tech Giants such as Google and Amazon to receive parental consent in order to collect, use, and sell the private data of students. For years, schools and school districts have been filling the role of parents by providing consent for data collection on behalf of parents for Big Tech to sell advertisements and control what our children search next.

The Safeguarding Children's Privacy in Schools Act of 2021 amends COPPA to provide more parental consent on data collection for Ed-Tech in schools by changing the definition of "Verifiable Parental Consent" to mean consent by a parent.

Specifically, this bill would prohibit a school or school district from acting as an agent of a parent for the purpose of providing verifiable parental consent on behalf of a child.

"Children use education technology to take tests and quizzes, to check their grades, to go on search engines, and connect with their friends," Miller said. "With this bill, we're speaking out against indoctrination and abuse of children. No school or government should consent on behalf of children for any matter. That is the role of parents, and it should be a priority of Congress to protect children online and keep them from being preyed upon by Tech Giants."

The bill has 21 original cosponsors: Ranking Member Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Rep. Bob Good (R-VA), Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI), Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX), Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX), Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT), Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA), Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT), Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC), Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL), Rep. Ted Budd (R-NC), Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX), Rep. Rick Allen (R-GA), Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX), Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH), Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL).

"Nothing should stop parents from being able to safeguard their children's online safety and privacy. This bill gives families peace of mind about their child's online presence by reinforcing parents' rights to protect vulnerable youth from predatory data collection policies." -- Education and Labor Committee Republican Leader Virginia Foxx (R-NC)

"Parents, not school systems or government, are the primary stakeholder in a child's education. They alone should be consenting on behalf of their child. Rep. Mary Miller's bill is a positive step forward to that end, ensuring that education technology can't collect children's data without parental permission." -- Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC)

"As many school boards across the country continue to try to force political ideologies upon students, it is more important than ever to empower the role of parents in their children's education. I commend Congresswoman Miller for standing with parents, and I am proud to join her by cosponsoring the Safeguarding Children's Privacy in Schools Act." -- Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA)

"The Safeguarding Children's Privacy in Schools Act of 2021 is a necessary solution to addressing the problem of Big Tech collecting data on our children through educational technology and platforms, like Google Classroom, for their own profits. It is a well-crafted and narrowly-tailored bill that updates COPPA to ensure parents are the ones with the power to consent to any data collection on their children in schools." -- Clare Morell, Policy Analyst, The Ethics and Public Policy Center

"Parents across the country are demanding more of a say in their children's education, and they are right to do so. The Safeguarding Children's Privacy in Schools Act helps address some of these concerns by ensuring that only parents -- and not school officials or school districts -- are allowed to consent to a child's personal data being collected, used, or distributed. American Principles Project is proud to endorse this bill, and we encourage Members of Congress to continue to prioritize parental rights and protecting children from exploitation and harm." -- Terry Schilling, President, American Principles Project