FCC's Communications Equity And Diversity Council Adopts Recommendations To Prevent Digital Discrimination
FCC’S COMMUNICATIONS EQUITY AND DIVERSITY COUNCIL ADOPTS RECOMMENDATIONS TO PREVENT DIGITAL DISCRIMINATION
WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 8, 2022) – Today, the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Communications Equity and Diversity Council (CEDC) held a public meeting to adopt the Digital Empowerment and Inclusion Working Group’s report on Model Policies and Best Practices to Prevent Digital Discrimination by Internet Service Providers. President and CEO Marc H. Morial and the National Urban League are represented on the CEDC by Joi Chaney, Executive Director of the Washington Bureau and Senior Vice President of Policy & Advocacy, who served as a co-chair of the workstream that produced the report.
“President Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed into law a year ago this fall, requires the FCC to develop model policies and recommendations to prevent digital discrimination and promote digital equity,” said Morial. “This mission is one shared by the National Urban League and is the ultimate vision of our Lewis Latimer Plan for Digital Equity and Inclusion.”
“I commend Chairwoman Rosenworcel on convening a diverse group of senior leaders and experts from civil rights, civil society, academia, government, and private industry on the CEDC to help the FCC meet its requirements around digital equity. As a former Mayor, I congratulate and appreciate the CEDC Chairs and Working Group leaders for being able to reach a strong consensus on this first milestone of developing recommendations for states and localities on preventing digital discrimination by ISPs or anyone else.”
“We know that the FCC’s work on digital discrimination via the CEDC and through the work of its own internal Task Force on Digital Discrimination is only just beginning. The National Urban League looks forward to continuing to engage at every step of Commission’s work to ensure equitable access to broadband and other technologies in under-served and under-connected communities and to ensure these communities tangibly benefit from the historic infrastructure investments of the IIJA – as consumers, employers, creators, entrepreneurs, industry executives and owners.”
“Technology and telecommunications equity is the new frontier of civil rights and closing the digital divide is a requirement of racial equity. Therefore, it is imperative for the Urban League movement.”
To read the CEDC’s full report, which includes the model policies and best practices to prevent digital discrimination as well as other sections, and all other proceedings, please visit https://www.fcc.gov/communications-equity-and-diversity-council. To read our Lewis Latimer Plan for Digital Equity and Inclusion, visit https://nul.org/program/lewis-latimer-plan.