Protecting Kids on Social Media
What to know: The Dallas Morning News published an editorial suggesting a shift away from the topic of inappropriate and adult information available to kids in school libraries to focus on something they view is far more pervasive – pornography on social media platforms.
The TPPF take: Children deserve more safeguards to protect them, and Texas legislators are ready to act.
“Smartphones and social media give kids—including preteens—ready access to obscene material. Thankfully, Texas legislators are already standing up to better protect kids online by introducing bills to prohibit social media access for minors and putting filtering tools onto digital devices by default,” said Zach Whiting, senior fellow of technology policy for TPPF.
For more on social media, click here.
Where Did All of the Money Go?
What to know: 18 San Francisco city departments failed to notice that they were still providing funds to revoked, suspended, or delinquent non-profits, including the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing that doled out $13 million to such non-profits.
The TPPF take: Accountability must be present at every level of the homelessness system, from the individual to the non-profit to the policymakers at every level of government.
“With 30% of the nation’s homeless population and 50% of its unsheltered population, one might think that California policymakers would seek to ensure that taxpayer funds earmarked for homelessness will be put to good use, says TPPF Senior Fellow Michele Steeb. However, as she details in this Fox News piece, a recent report highlighted a neighboring city’s grossly ineffective and potentially wasteful efforts at housing the homeless — Oakland. This is a symptom not just of a lack of accountability, but also of a failed approach to tackling the region’s homeless crisis.”
For more on homelessness, click here.
Free Healthcare, But At What Cost?
What to know: The United Kingdom’s National Health Service, overwhelmed by the usual winter wave of cold and flu plus a nurse and ambulance driver and nurse strike, is unable to keep up with the demand — and care is suffering as a result.
The TPPF take: There is no such thing as a free lunch, even in healthcare.
“A government takeover of the medical system, whether through the National Health Service or the proposed Medicare-For-All system here in the United States, will lead to worse care and longer wait times for medical treatment,” said David Balat, director of TPPF’s Right on Healthcare initiative.
For more on “free” healthcare, click here.