California: Youth in State Care Deserve Internet Access

When the state is charged with caring for children, it is incumbent on officials to ensure that youth are provided with the tools they need to grow and live full lives. In 2017, this means access to computers and the Internet.

Please tell Gov. Jerry Brown to sign A.B. 811 into law to establish that access to the Internet is a legal right for juvenile detainees and youth in foster care.

The legislation, introduced by Assemblymember Mike Gipson, would benefit more than 56,000 youth in foster care and 23,000 youth in secure facilities. These children would be guaranteed “reasonable access to computer technology and the Internet for the purposes of education and maintaining contact with family and supportive adults.” Detention officials would still have the ability to restrict Internet access on a case-by-case basis to address legitimate safety concerns.

If our society is already able to arrange for astronauts to use social media from the International Space Station, there is no question that California can make sure online educational resources are available to youth in state custody.

California has the opportunity to lead the country in leveraging new technologies to enhance the lives and prospects of this vulnerable youth population.

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EFF uses the information you provide to help you take action in support of digital civil liberties, including submitting your message to support A.B. 811 to your representatives in the California Assembly and Senate, as well as the governor's office. We will also add your name to a petition that civil liberties advocates may deliver to the California legislature and other decisionmakers to urge them to support this bill. We may work with coalition partners to execute the petition delivery. Learn more about EFF's privacy practices at https://eff.org/policy