Beyond Bans: Why We Need a Public Internet for Children

The current strategy for child safety relies on two blunt instruments: punishing tech giants or forcing children offline. Neither approach addresses the root cause of the crisis—the perverse economic incentives that prioritize engagement over user well-being. By levying a tax on major technology firms, the government could fund a "children's public internet." This would not be a separate, restricted network, but a collection of non-profit, ad-free services akin to the 20th-century push for public television.

These grants would support open-source platforms, community-moderated forums, and educational portals designed to operate without the predatory data collection that plagues commercial social media. While critics argue for a return to purely offline childhoods, the digital world is already central to modern life. Providing a functional, safe alternative offers a constructive path forward, challenging the dominance of platforms that treat young users as mere commodities. By fostering a digital space where the profit motive is absent, we can model a healthier internet that eventually benefits all users, not just the next generation.