ACLU Demands Student Privacy Protections, Equal Remote Learning Access

Even during a pandemic, governments have a legal obligation to provide all students equal access to an adequate education, the American Civil Liberties Union and over 25 ACLU state chapters warned in letters to state and local leaders nationwide. To help meet this obligation during the COVID-19 pandemic, the ACLU is demanding Congress and state and local governments ensure all students have equal access to the technologies that make effective remote learning possible, and that strong and uniform privacy safeguards are in place to protect students in the virtual classroom. The ACLU is also calling on Congress to provide billions of dollars in funding as part of the next COVID-19 relief package to meet the broadband access and technology needs of students and other impacted individuals.

In its letter to Congress, the ACLU is urging members to provide $2-3 billion per month for the duration of the crisis and for at least 30 days after the crisis ends for an emergency benefit to make broadband services available to all eligible low-income households and all households experiencing hardship as a result of the pandemic. To help students further, the organization is also calling on Congress to provide $4 billion for an Emergency Connectivity Fund, proposed by Rep Grace Meng (D-NY) and Sen Ed Markey (D-MA), that would cover immediate assistance for students and library patrons that need access to technology to engage in remote and distance learning in their homes.