105 ILCS 5/27-405

(105 ILCS 5/27-405)

Sec. 27-405. Online safety and media literacy.

(a) As used in this Section:

"Media literacy" means the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create, and communicate using a variety of objective forms, including, but not limited to, print, visual, audio, interactive, and digital texts.

"Online safety" means safe practices relating to an individual's or group's use of the Internet, social networking websites, electronic mail, online messaging and posting, and other means of communication on the Internet.

(b) Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, every public school shall adopt an age and developmentally appropriate curriculum for online safety instruction to be taught at least once each school year to students in grades 3 through 8. The school board shall determine the scope and duration of this unit of instruction. The instruction may be incorporated into the current courses of study regularly taught in the district's schools, as determined by the school board, and it is recommended that the unit of instruction include all of the following topics:

(1) Safe and responsible use of the Internet, social networking websites, electronic mail, online messaging and posting, and other means of communication on the Internet.

(2) Recognizing, avoiding, and reporting online solicitations of students, their classmates, and their friends by sexual predators.

(3) Risks of transmitting personal information on the Internet.

(4) Recognizing and avoiding unsolicited or deceptive communications received online.

(5) Reporting online harassment, cyber-bullying, and illegal activities and communications on the Internet.

(6) The legal penalties and social ramifications for illicit actions taken online, including infringement of copyright laws and the creation and sharing of harmful, defamatory, or sexually explicit content.

(7) The relationship between responsible use of online resources and social-emotional health.

(c) Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, every public school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction on media literacy and Internet safety for students in grades 9 through 12. The unit of instruction shall include, but is not limited to, all of the following topics:

(1) Accessing and evaluating information: Evaluating multiple media platforms to better understand the general landscape and economics of the platforms, the issues regarding the trustworthiness of the source of information, and the authenticity of each source to distinguish fact from opinion. This includes analyzing misinformation online and identifying if online content is real or fabricated.

(2) Creating media: Conveying a coherent message using multimodal practices to a specific target audience. This may include, but is not limited to, writing blogs, composing songs, designing video games, producing podcasts, making videos, or coding a mobile or software application.

(3) Reflecting on media consumption and social responsibility: Assessing how media affects the consumption of information and how it triggers emotions and behavior. This also includes suggesting a plan of action in the class, school, or community to engage others in a respectful, thoughtful, and inclusive dialogue over a specific issue using facts and reason.

(4) Legal and Social Penalties for Illicit Actions Online: Understanding the legal penalties and social ramifications for illicit actions taken online, including infringement of copyright laws and the creation and sharing of harmful, defamatory, or sexually explicit content.

(5) Reporting Illicit Content Online: Understanding how and whom to report online harassment, cyber-bullying, and illegal activities and communications on the Internet.

(d) The State Board of Education shall determine how to prepare and make available instructional resources and professional learning opportunities for educators that may be used for the development of a unit of instruction under this Section.

The State Board of Education shall, subject to appropriation, prepare and make available multidisciplinary instructional resources and professional learning opportunities for educators that may be used to meet the following requirements:

(1) The unit of instruction shall be age and developmentally appropriate for each intended grade level being taught.

(2) The unit of instruction shall educate students about the legal and social penalties for illicit actions online.

(3) The unit of instruction shall educate students about the social and legal penalties for illicit actions taken online.

(4) The unit of instruction shall teach about the harmful physical, emotional, and psychological effects associated with unhealthy use of the Internet and social media.

(5) The unit of instruction shall provide information on resources to report cyberbullying and the illicit online behavior of others.

The State Board, in coordination with any other individuals, groups, or organizations the State Board deems appropriate, shall update these instructional resources and professional learning opportunities periodically as the State Board sees fit.

The State Board shall make the instructional resources and professional learning opportunities available on its Internet website.

(Source: P.A. 104-391, eff. 8-15-25.)