Policy / Support Protections for Children Online

Support Protections for Children Online

Southern Baptists believe that children are a gift from the Lord, and that it is the responsibility of their parents to raise them in a manner that glorifies God. The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 affirms that “children…are a blessing and heritage from the Lord…Parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them, through consistent lifestyle examples and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical truth.”

Southern Baptists affirm that technology can be harnessed for good or evil. In the 2025 resolution “On Banning Pornography” Southern Baptists stated “that we exhort parents and guardians to cultivate homes of holiness by employing wisdom, technological safeguards, and candid instruction to protect children from exposure to sexualized media and curb temptation” Additionally, in the resolution “On Educating Children,” Southern Baptists recognized that “involved parents are the ultimate influence in the lives of their children” and urged parents and churches to “research and monitor the entertainment and educational influences on children.”

With many children gaining unsupervised access to the internet at younger and younger ages, there has been an explosion in awareness of the harms this is bringing to many children. New data has demonstrated the detrimental effects on mental health, learning, and self-image that have come as a result from unhindered access for minors. Current laws allow much of this to happen without the knowledge or consent of parents.

More must be done to prevent children from accessing harmful content, such as pornography, and to empower parents in overseeing the online activity of their children. One such proposal that the ERLC is advocating for is the SCREEN Act, a bill that would require pornographic websites to verify the age of the users before they can access any sort of pornographic content. The Supreme Court upheld a similar Texas law in 2025, a victory for child online protections. Further, the ERLC supports the Eyes on the Board Act, which requires schools to block access to social media sites and develop screen time policies in order to receive federal resources in the form of E-Rate funding.

The ERLC is vocal in seeking to protect children from harmful information and bad actors online. With a rise in human trafficking stemming from online encounters and an increasing number of children making social media accounts, the ERLC is actively exploring ways to reinforce the right of parents to oversee their child’s activity online while also seeking to prohibit bad actors from gaining access to children through the internet.

The ERLC calls upon Congress to address child online safety concerns through impactful legislation like the SCREEN Act and the Eyes on the Board Act. These solutions will protect children’s well-being, empower parents, and push back against a culture that weaponizes technology to exploit children and families.