#broadbandlive
Special Broadband Breakfast Live Online Town Hall on Section 230 on Wednesday, January 13, 2021
See, “Crackdown on Online Conspiracy Speakers After January 6 Highlights Need for Platform Accountability,” Broadband Breakfast, January 14, 2021
Our Broadband Breakfast Live Online events take place every Wednesday at 12 Noon ET. You can watch the January 13, 2021, event on this page. You can also PARTICIPATE in the current Broadband Breakfast Live Online event. REGISTER HERE.
WASHINGTON, January 11, 2021 – Twitter’s decision to permanently suspend President Donald Trump from the platform may be the most powerful step taken to bring about the actual end of Trump’s power as president.
The move, and many other recent moves by Google, Facebook, Amazon, Apple to clamp down on pro-Trump statements through online media, have magnified that importance of – and the criticism of – Big Tech and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.
Having risen to power on the strength of a social media-amplified public persona, Trump came to personify some of the most divisive effects of social media. What will happen to social media and to our technology-driven society in the fallout that we are now experiencing? How does our nation – online and offline – walk back from the edge?
Join us on Wednesday at 12 Noon ET for a special Online Town Hall on Section 230. We will reprise themes raised in Broadband Breakfast Live Online’s series in July 2020, “Section 230: Separating Fact From Fiction” — but with even greater urgency.
Wednesday, January 13, 2021, 12 Noon ET — Special Broadband Breakfast Live Online Town Hall on Section 230
Panelists include:
- Rob Pegoraro, Freelance Tech Journalist for USA Today, Fast Company and others
- Jessica Dheere, Ranking Digital Rights
- Will Duffield, Policy Analyst, Cato Institute’s Center for Representative Government
- Ali Sternburg, Senior Policy Counsel, Computer & Communications Industry Association
- Cathy Gellis, Attorney assisting clients with issues affecting internet intermediaries
- Other guests have been invited
- Drew Clark (Moderator), Editor and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast
Panelist resources
- Content Moderation Experts Discuss Future of Section 230 in Broadband Breakfast Live Online Event, Broadband Breakfast (Event 1)
- Section 230 is Essential and Broadly Misunderstood, Say Panelists at Broadband Breakfast Live Online Event, Broadband Breakfast (Event 2)
- Social Media Platforms Should Increase Algorithm Transparency, Say Broadband Breakfast Live Online Panelists, Broadband Breakfast (Event 3)
- Project Disruptive Competition’s Section 230 Resource Page
- “Tech giants banished Trump. Now things get complicated,” Associated Press, January 12, 2021
- https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20210109/13053746025/dear-section-230-critics-when-senators-hawley-cruz-are-your-biggest-allies-time-to-rethink.shtml
- https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20201229/12003745970/section-230-isnt-subsidy-rule-civil-procedure.shtml
- https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20201017/13051145526/section-230-basics-there-is-no-such-thing-as-publisher-or-platform-distinction.shtml
- https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20200920/16382945341/busting-still-more-myths-about-section-230-you-fcc.shtml
- https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20200905/09175545253/first-hard-case-zeran-v-aol-what-it-can-teach-us-about-todays-hard-cases.shtml
- https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20200527/08275544581/when-problem-isnt-twitter-president-trump.shtml
WATCH HERE, or on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

Rob Pegoraro, Jessica Dheere, Will Duffield, Ali Sternburg

Catherine Gellis
Rob Pegoraro is a freelance tech journalist writing about computers, consumer electronics, telecom services, the internet, software and other things that beep or blink for a variety of online and print outlets. His work can be found in USA Today and Fast Company, and he has also covered tech issues for the Computer & Communications Industry Association’s Disruptive Competition Project blog, Discovery News and the Consumer Electronics Association.
Jessica Dheere is the director of Ranking Digital Rights, and co-authored RDR’s spring 2020 report “Getting to the Source of Infodemics: It’s the Business Model.” An affiliate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, she is also founder, former executive director, and board member of the Arab digital rights organization SMEX, and in 2019, she launched the CYRILLA Collaborative, which catalogs global digital rights law and case law. She is a graduate of Princeton University and the New School.
Will Duffield is a Policy Analyst in the Cato Institute’s Center for Representative Government, where he studies speech and internet governance. His research focuses on the web of government regulation and private rules that govern Americans’ speech online. Will recently contributed a chapter on internet decentralization to Libertarianism.org’s Visions of Liberty, and his work has appeared at the Cato Journal, Volteface, the Legatum Institute, and the Adam Smith Institute.
Ali Sternburg is Senior Policy Counsel at the Computer & Communications Industry Association. After initially joining as a Legal Fellow in June 2011, she focuses on online copyright issues and other areas of intellectual property policy. She is one of the main contributors to CCIA’s innovation-centered online initiative, the Disruptive Competition Project, dubbed DisCo and is also a Fellow at the Internet Law & Policy Foundry. She received her J.D. in 2012 from American University Washington College of Law, where she was a Student Attorney in the Glushko-Samuelson Intellectual Property Law Clinic.
Frustrated that people were making the law without asking her for her opinion, Cathy Gellis gave up a career as a web developer to become a lawyer so that she could help them not make it badly, especially where it came to technology. A former aspiring journalist and longtime fan of free speech her legal work includes defending the rights of Internet users and advocating for policy that protects online speech and innovation. She also writes about the policy implications of technology regulation on sites such as the Daily Beast, Law.com, and Techdirt.com, where she is a regular contributor.
Events in the “Section 230: Separating Fact From Fiction” Series from July 2020 include:
- Event 1: Wednesday, July 1, 2020 — “Content Moderation: How it Works, Why it Works, and Best Practices”
- This panel will consider how different platforms approach content moderation, comparing reasons for a more active or more laissez-faire approach. It will consider what “best practices” have emerged for ensuring online diversity without permitting online harassment. It will also feature a discussion of how platforms moderate content in the U.S. versus internationally.
- Event 2: Wednesday, July 8, 2020 — “Section 230 in an Election Year: How Republicans and Democrats are Approaching Proposed Changes”
- Is Section 230 the new bugaboo of election years? Will life return to normal in 2021? This panel will explore the combination of forces that have made Section 230 susceptible to political pressure from both sides of the aisle.
- Event 3: Wednesday, July 15, 2020 — “Public Input on Platform Algorithms: The Role of Transparency and Feedback in Information Technology”
- This panel will consider what role governments have, or should have, in reacting to the power of tech platforms vis-à-vis their role in public discourse. It truly aims to consider the pros and cons of government and public involvement and engagement in pushing platforms to adopt greater transparency about the use of their algorithms.
SUBSCRIBE to the Broadband Breakfast YouTube channel. That way, you will be notified when events go live. Watch on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
See a complete list of upcoming and past Broadband Breakfast Live Online events.
#broadbandlive
Broadband Breakfast on April 5, 2023 – State Digital Equity Plans
Hear state broadband leaders talk about how they are approaching the digital equity planning process.

Our Broadband Breakfast Live Online events take place on Wednesday at 12 Noon ET. Watch the event on Broadband Breakfast, or REGISTER HERE to join the conversation.
Wednesday, April 5, 2023, 12 Noon ET – State Digital Equity Plans
The Digital Equity Act, part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, provides $2.75 billion for three grant programs aiming to promote digital equity. The $60 million State Planning Program, $1.44 billion State Capacity Program and $1.25 Competitive Program will fund a variety of digital equity projects across the country, from planning to implementation. In this session of Broadband Breakfast Live Online, state broadband leaders will talk about how their states are approaching the digital equity planning process and what they hope to accomplish with the federal funding.
As with all Broadband Breakfast Live Online events, the FREE webcasts will take place at 12 Noon ET on Wednesday.
SUBSCRIBE to the Broadband Breakfast YouTube channel. That way, you will be notified when events go live. Watch on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
See a complete list of upcoming and past Broadband Breakfast Live Online events.
#broadbandlive
Broadband Breakfast on March 29, 2023 – Cost-Sharing and Other Compliance Requirements for Broadband Deployment
How should state broadband offices approach cost-sharing and other BEAD compliance requirements?

Our Broadband Breakfast Live Online events take place on Wednesday at 12 Noon ET. Watch the event on Broadband Breakfast, or REGISTER HERE to join the conversation.
Wednesday, March 29, 2023, 12 Noon ET – Cost-Sharing and Other Compliance Requirements for Broadband Deployment
One key factor in the $42.5 Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program is the matching requirement: Subgrantees must find matching funds of at least 25 percent of the total project cost. Matching funds can be provided by local governments, utility companies, nonprofit organizations and other entities. In addition, states are required to incentivize higher matches whenever possible. How should state broadband offices approach cost-sharing and other compliance requirements as they prepare for broadband deployment?
As with all Broadband Breakfast Live Online events, the FREE webcasts will take place at 12 Noon ET on Wednesday.
SUBSCRIBE to the Broadband Breakfast YouTube channel. That way, you will be notified when events go live. Watch on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
See a complete list of upcoming and past Broadband Breakfast Live Online events.
#broadbandlive
Broadband Breakfast on March 22, 2023 – Robocalls, STIR/SHAKEN and the Future of Voice Telephony
Has the FCC succeeded in making the STIR/SHAKEN framework work?

See Experts Debate Whether Originating or Terminating Providers Hold Robocall Responsibility, Broadband Breakfast, March 22, 2023
Our Broadband Breakfast Live Online events take place on Wednesday at 12 Noon ET. Watch the event on Broadband Breakfast, or REGISTER HERE to join the conversation.
Wednesday, March 22, 2023, 12 Noon ET – Robocalls, STIR/SHAKEN and the Future of Voice Telephony
The Federal Communications Commission calls the fight against illegal robocall traffic its “top consumer protection priority.” The agency’s March 16 meeting heard discussion of several proposed rules to strengthen STIR/SHAKEN, from requiring intermediate providers to authenticate certain calls to adopting more robust enforcement tools. Required by the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act of 2019, has the FCC succeeded in making the STIR/SHAKEN framework work? Or is voice telephony still at the mercy of robocallers?
- Margot Saunders, Senior Attorney, National Consumer Law Center
- Jeff Pulver, Founder, Vonage
- Glenn Richards, Partner, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
- Jonathan Marashlian, Managing Partner, The CommLaw Group
- Drew Clark (moderator), Editor and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast
Panelist resources
- Legislating to Stop the Onslaught of Annoying Robocalls, Margot Saunders, April 30, 2019
- Illegal Robocalls: Calling All to Stop the Scourge, Margot Saunders, April 11, 2019
- FCC Expands Robocall Regime to Intermediaries, Establishes Robotext Protections, Broadband Breakfast, March 16, 2023
- VON Evolution Conference Will Address Intersection of Telecom, AI, 5G and Blockchain, Broadband Breakfast, March 21, 2023
- U.S. Robocall Mitigation Ecosystem Demands All Telecommunications Companies Pay Attention as New Threats Emerge and Compliance Balloons Well Beyond Mere FCC Compliance, The CommLaw Group
- CommLaw Group Robocall Mitigation Response Team
- Introduction to CommLaw Commpliance Group
Margot Saunders is currently a senior staff attorney with the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) after serving as managing attorney of NCLC’s Washington, D.C. office from 1991 to 2005. Margot has testified before Congress more than two dozen times regarding a wide range of consumer law issues, including predatory mortgage lending, high cost small loans, payments law, electronic commerce, protecting benefits in bank accounts, privacy issues, and robocalls. She was the lead advocate on the passage of the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act, the development of the Treasury Rule protecting exempt benefits, and many other initiatives.
Jeff Pulver is a tech industry icon, a pioneer in the field of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), and a leading advocate for internet freedom. In the late 1990s, Pulver saw the potential for VoIP to revolutionize the way we communicate and founded the company Vonage, one of the first VoIP service providers. As VoIP began to gain traction, Pulver faced resistance from traditional telephone companies and regulators. In 2003, he took on the establishment and petitioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In 2004 the FCC issued the “Pulver Order” which ensured that VoIP services would not be subject to traditional telephone regulation. This decision paved the way for the widespread adoption of VoIP and transformed the way we communicate.
Glenn Richards is Pillsbury’s Communications Practice Group Leader. Based in Washington, DC, he is a recognized authority on IP communications regulations and telecommunications policies and issues. Glenn represents VoIP and cloud communications service providers; satellite, wireless, long-distance and competitive local exchange carriers; broadcasters; equipment manufacturers; trade associations and others in transactional matters and before the FCC and state public utilities commissions. A partner in the firm’s Global Sourcing practice, Glenn also negotiates global telecommunications service contracts for large corporations.
Jonathan Marashlian is experienced in nearly all aspects of federal and state communications law and regulation. He has represented clients of all shapes and sizes and from all corners of the Communications/VoIP, Broadband, IoT and Information Technology industries for over 25 years. As Managing Partner of The CommLaw Group, Mr. Marashlian is responsible for coordinating and managing attorneys and professional staff and guiding the firm’s clients through the maze of federal, state and international regulatory, communications tax, and other compliance requirements.
Drew Clark (moderator) is CEO of Breakfast Media LLC. He has led the Broadband Breakfast community since 2008. An early proponent of better broadband, better lives, he initially founded the Broadband Census crowdsourcing campaign for broadband data. As Editor and Publisher, Clark presides over the leading media company advocating for higher-capacity internet everywhere through topical, timely and intelligent coverage. Clark also served as head of the Partnership for a Connected Illinois, a state broadband initiative.

Graphic from Adobe Stock used with permission
As with all Broadband Breakfast Live Online events, the FREE webcasts will take place at 12 Noon ET on Wednesday.
SUBSCRIBE to the Broadband Breakfast YouTube channel. That way, you will be notified when events go live. Watch on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
See a complete list of upcoming and past Broadband Breakfast Live Online events.
-
Fiber4 weeks ago
‘Not a Great Product’: AT&T Not Looking to Invest Heavily in Fixed Wireless
-
Broadband Roundup3 weeks ago
AT&T Floats BEAD in USF Areas, Counties Concerned About FCC Map, Alabama’s $25M for Broadband
-
Big Tech3 weeks ago
House Innovation, Data, and Commerce Chairman Gus Bilirakis to Keynote Big Tech & Speech Summit
-
Big Tech2 weeks ago
Preview the Start of Broadband Breakfast’s Big Tech & Speech Summit
-
Big Tech2 weeks ago
Watch the Webinar of Big Tech & Speech Summit for $9 and Receive Our Breakfast Club Report
-
#broadbandlive2 weeks ago
Broadband Breakfast on March 22, 2023 – Robocalls, STIR/SHAKEN and the Future of Voice Telephony
-
#broadbandlive3 weeks ago
Broadband Breakfast on March 8: A Status Update on Tribal Broadband
-
Infrastructure5 days ago
BEAD Build Timelines in Jeopardy if ‘Buy America’ Waivers Not Granted, White House Budget Office Told