**Remarks of Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate**

**At Auburn University**

**Internet Safety**

**September 26, 2008**

Good Afternoon.

I must begin, as I often do, by taking a minute to plug the
[TOP]{.underline} issue on the FCC's agenda---the DTV Transition, which
is going to occur on February 17, 2009. If you have an older model TV,
or have a family member that does, please prepare now! You can buy a
digital TV, subscribe to cable or satellite, or purchase a converter
box. The government is offering every household two \$40 coupons that
can be sued toward the purchase of these boxes---information is
available at [www.dtv2009.gov](http://www.dtv2009.gov/).

**I. FCC Authority**

I am delighted to be here on the Plains, speaking about an issue that is
at the top of my personal and professional agenda---Internet Safety. Let
me first be clear that the FCC does not have specific authority to
regulate the Internet; however, when the internet is being utilized for
services that are well within our jurisdiction, we may do so. While I
have been a proponent of a "light regulatory touch" for innovative and
cost-cutting services such as VOIP, there are clearly appropriate times
when government has a role to play: USF, e-911, social obligations, and
advertising on internet sites operated by a broadcasting network. More
recently, a topic you may be familiar with and one that is certainly
being discussed in Washington a lot: Comcast Internet management
practices. Referred to as "net neutrality" or "network management," this
is the practice of some internet service providers of controlling the
speed at which you can download files---so that one user isn't clogging
up the network for everyone else due to the cable system architecture
built utilizing nodes to deliver services to an entire neighborhood. We
also have authority to regulate cell phone providers, many of whom are
now the gateway to the internet. As technologies continue to converge,
it is likely that the FCC's authority to regulate any internet services
will continue to be a topic for discussion.

**II. My Interest**

Working for two Tennessee Governors, heading up a healthcare agency and
Vanderbilt's public policy institute, most of my professional career has
been spent working on issues to improve the lives of children and
families. And I have tried to continue to be a voice for parents and
children at the FCC, in Washington and across this country. In order to
ensure that the next generation---that includes you\-- reaches their
greatest potential, we must ensure that you have access to a wealth of
educational information in an environment that protects your personal
information, physical safety and healthy mental development.

Like many parents, I never really thought past the benefits the Internet
offers --from my kids doing research for homework to the wonders of
telemedicine, to distance learning opportunities, to creating and
producing your own content online. However, we must also realize that
this technological explosion of access also presents challenges and very
real dangers.

Today's college students grew up with the internet\-- 20% began using
the internet between the ages of 5 and 8. Seventy-three percent of
college students say they use the Internet more than the library.
Telephone calls, stock quotes, news headlines, photos from Skybar, video
games, and internet\--all from the same provider, on the same device.
All of these new and exciting services and products for consumers also
bring challenges and even risks---risks to our very personal information
and data, our privacy, our security, and perhaps most importantly, our
children.

**III. The Problem**

Everyone here is likely familiar with the Dateline series "To Catch a
Predator." I recently watched some of these episodes and even though I
am out speaking on this topic, I was shocked to see the number of\-- and
persistence of\-- predators who stalk under-age children online. The
statistics range from 1 in 7 to 1 in 25 children that have been
solicited online---either way, it is one child too many.

For this generation, the I-Generation, the internet is no longer just an
infrequently-accessed research tool, but a ubiquitous aspect of daily
life. Consider that while 57% of adults have watched online videos, 93%
of college students have. Whereas 13% of adults have watched online
commercials, 60% of college students have. 13% of adults have uploaded
videos to the internet; 37% of college students have. 57% of adults have
shared video links with others; 83% of college students have. I believe
that we all---parents, teachers, industry, government---should do what
we can to protect students in the online world---just as we continue to
protect them in the offline world.

So, how much time is spent online? What is the risk? How many of you
have blogged? A 2007 Pew study shows that 28% of online teens have
created their own blog. 27% maintain their own webpage. 39% share their
own artwork, photos, stories or videos online. 41% of teens who use
MySpace, Facebook, or other social networking sites send messages to
their friends everyday through these sites --- double their e-mails.
Facebook was actually invented by college students.

With the explosion of new educational materials available online, one
might think parents would be 100% pleased with the internet's role in
their children's lives. But surveys show just the opposite: a late 2006
survey that showed 59% of parents think the internet has been a good
thing for their children\-\-- down from 67% who thought it was good in
2004. I was at a conference recently where one researcher said that the
number one reason for college drop-outs today is the online game World
of Warcraft. A family friend had to leave college due to a gaming
compulsion---now a diagnosable addiction\-- online gaming is becoming a
very real part of the college experience---and not always a good one.

**V. Caution**

I want to urge all students here today to please think carefully about
the information you post online. It may seem harmless today, but will it
still be harmless five years from now? Ask yourself: is this something
I'd want a potential employer to see? Many HR departments are searching
Facebook and MySpace profiles of potential new hires. The same is true
for college admissions offices---10% of admissions offices check social
networking sites, and 38% say that they have seen information that
negatively impacted their view of the applicant. I recently met with a
man named Michael Fertik, who has started ReputationDefender.com---a
service that allows users to find out where their personal information
is online\-- a snapshot of your "digital footprint."

The other important area where I would urge students to exercise caution
is email. What used to be mail and phone scams have now moved to email.
If the subject line says "You won!," trust me, you didn't. Internet
criminals are going after new technologies to prey on unsuspecting
citizens. Don't ever give anyone your identifying information over
email.

**VI. Pornography**

Another concern the Internet has brought to light is the presence of,
and market for, child pornography. Child pornography, most of which is
distributed via the Internet, is a multi-billion dollar per year
industry. Seventy-nine percent of unwanted exposure to pornography
occurs *in the home*. There are more than 4 million pornographic
websites or 12% of all websites. The proliferation of child pornography
is real and without appropriate government, industry and parental
oversight it will likely continue to grow.

**VII. Cyberbullying**

In addition to these concerns is the problem of cyber-bullying, most
recently brought to light in the wake of the tragic death of a young
teenage girl who took her own life after being taunted (by a parent!)
online. I-safe reports that 42% of children have been bullied online,
and 1 in 4 has had it happen more than once. Recently, the Department of
Justice held a press conference as part of Internet Safety Month, and
outlined the steps parents and children can take to reduce the risk of
cyberbullying.

I am desperately interested in this problem, both as a mother of three,
including my daughter here at Auburn, and a policymaker who sees this
not merely as a technology issue, but as a very real health threat to
the safety and well-being of our children.

**VIII. Benefits and Risks of Internet**

The Internet and broadband have brought the world to our children. With
a click of a mouse, they have access to information about almost
anything, and in almost any format. Broadband and the internet have
improved our access to healthcare, is the driver of all types of
commerce and obviously have enhanced communications around the globe.
The opportunities are endless. I, like many parents across the country,
never really thought past beneficial opportunities the Internet offers.
Today, however, I realize that this technology also presents challenges
and dangers.

Parenting is a hard job, and it just got harder. Turning off a
television, or taking it out of a bedroom, may take some gumption, but
overseeing every avenue that a child can walk down on the Internet is
daunting. As parents, none of us would allow our children to leave the
house without knowing where they're going; yet many parents allow their
children to explore the Internet without recognizing the very real
dangers that cyberspace poses. Too many of us have been laboring under
the myth that the Internet is a "safe place" for our children. Through
discussions like the one we are engaging in today\-\--and the many
organizations represented here\-\-- we can help parents, teachers and
all caregivers be more aware of their children's online activities, and
be able to talk to their children about what they access across multiple
platforms.

**IX. Partners**

Last year I participated in the launch of the International Family
Online Safety Institute, headed by Stephen Balkham at Kaiser Family
Foundation. The Institute is committed to innovative, industry-driven
solutions, and bringing together the many pre-existing parental
education programs to figure out what works- and what doesn't. Perhaps
the most encouraging point about this organization is its supporters:
companies like AOL, AT&T, Verizon, Google, Microsoft, and Cisco.

Cox Communications' sponsors an annual National Teen Summit along with
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to allow high school
students from across the nation to discuss their experiences on line.
National figures such as America's Most Wanted, John Walsh, and Miss
America 2007 Lauren Nelson, whose personal online experience caused her
to adopt this as her platform, are the facilitators. It is events like
this that have the most impact on our children and teens---giving them
real-world example of the threats that lurk online---hearing very real
stories that have happened to peers, and to learn about the tools and
strategies they can use to protect themselves.

As the FCC reviews our own policies and the Internet continues to
evolve, I am especially concerned about P2P applications, particularly
the growing problems of illegal content distribution, from online child
pornography to pirated movies and music, as well as the issue of child
online safety and privacy in general. I am encouraged by the efforts of
the recently formed P4P working group- where P2P companies and ISPs are
working together to resolve network management issues to foster legal
content distribution. I look forward to even more collaborative,
industry-based solutions, which are often the most effective and
efficient means of resolving complex, technical network disputes. I hope
each of you will remember that whenever you download music without
paying for it---you are harming our creators, our producers, our
musicians and artists and costing our economy billions of dollars.
99cents really isn't very much to pay for a great song!

**X. International**

Internet safety isn't just a concern for American families---it's
becoming an international issue as well. In just the last few months,
I've been asked to speak at APEC-Tel, the Asian Pacific Telecom
Ministers in Bangkok; at the Global Forum in Italy; and with Secretary
General Hammadoun Tourre of the ITU who has launched a major
cyber-security initiative. The Ministry of Japan is now issuing notices
urging parents and schools to limit internet-accessible cell phones to
children. They have recommended that Japanese cell phone manufacturers
include GPS in every phone and talk capabilities only. DOCOMO, the
largest Japanese wireless provider, has undertaken an internet-safety
curriculum and actually sends instructors into schools to provide
instruction. Given the fact that approximately 60% of American teens
have a cell phone, and that cell phones are being marketed to children
as young as 6, I challenged our U.S. carriers to adopt similar
initiatives to provide curriculum and education regarding safe use of
their products---including internet safety, illegal downloading, and
especially providing personal information via cell phones.

I believe that each of these initiatives --from domestic to
international - is having a positive impact. But there is much more to
do; more families to reach, more children to educate and protect. In
recent years, we've seen tightened security at our airports, our
schools, and many of our offices. We continue to require E-rate fund
recipients required to install filters, screens, and other blocking
mechanisms on public school computers. Just like government zoning laws
that prevent bars and liquor stores from operating near schools; we need
to realize the dangers the internet poses. As our world changes, we must
respond appropriately. "Don't talk to strangers" is as applicable today
as it was 30 years ago -- only more frightening because the 45-year-old
convicted pedophile can pretend to be a very cute college guy.

Certainly the Internet enables our children to broaden their
educational, social and geographic horizons. Let's just make sure they
have the tools and the knowledge to protect themselves in their new and
very real online world. Thank you for your presence here today and for
exhibiting your concern and commitment to this issue; American's
families; and our future.