The National Education Policy Center
(NEPC) annual report states, "Digital technologies used in schools are increasingly being harnessed to amplify corporate marketing and profit-making and extend the reach of commercializing activities into every aspect of students' school lives." Students are increasingly asked to us a computer or device for classwork, homework, research and collaborations with other students online. This often requires students to download apps or use products like Google / Gsuite, or YouTube. While online, students are bombarded with ads, promotions, recommendations of sites to click, products to purchase. In a
recent study, it was found that 95% of the most downloaded apps target young children with ads. There is also a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Complaint against
YouTube for improperly collecting children's information. A coalition of over 20 privacy, consumer, and public health advocacy groups
called on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the apps targeting young children.
We believe that schools should be places where students can learn, free of distractions from pop-up advertisements. Students should not be subjected to commercials and online ads. Children are not commodities and schools should not be an online marketplace to target children with inappropriate, unwanted and potentially dangerous ads.
We ask that online advertisements be prohibited to all Missouri PreK-12 school children. Please sign and join us in sending this request to our Missouri Governor and legislators.
