EdLaw
Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA)
US federal law (enacted 2000) conditioning E-Rate universal-service discounts for schools and libraries on internet-safety measures: a technology protection measure (filtering/blocking) and an internet safety policy. Statutory basis in 47 U.S.C. §254(h); implemented for E-Rate by the FCC's certification rule at 47 CFR §54.520, administered through USAC certification forms. The rule text in this folder shows amendment as recently as 2026 (see its source note) — re-verify before citing.
Applicability to EdTech
CIPA binds the school/library (as a funding condition), not the vendor — but it shapes what devices and services must support: filtering of visual depictions that are obscene, child pornography, or harmful to minors, and monitoring of minors' online activities under the school's internet safety policy. State E-Rate guidance (e.g. Wisconsin DPI) treats the filtering obligation as following device ownership rather than location — school-owned devices used off-campus still require filtering — which matters directly for take-home hardware.
Contents
| Document | Covers |
|---|---|
| FCC-CERTIFICATION-RULE.md | 47 CFR §54.520 — who certifies, what the certifications cover, timing, consequences |
Scope note: the statute (47 U.S.C. §254(h)) is linked rather than reproduced; the FCC rule carries the operational certification detail and is reproduced verbatim from the eCFR.
Related
- FERPA — companion federal regime for education records
- COPPA — companion federal regime for under-13 online data collection
Sources
- eCFR — 47 CFR §54.520 (CIPA certification rule), current text
- 47 U.S.C. §254 (universal service statute)
- FCC — Children's Internet Protection Act consumer guide
- Wisconsin DPI — E-Rate CIPA guidance
Meta
Built and re-verified mechanically — see tools/ecfr: build_us_regs.py / build_us_regs.py verify. Do not hand-edit regulation text.