Broadband Breakfast on November 17, 2021 — The Changing Nature of the Debate About Social Media and Section 230

See Experts Warn Against Total Repeal of Section 230, Broadband Breakfast, November 22, 2021

Our Broadband Breakfast Live Online events take place on Wednesday at 12 Noon ET. You can watch the November 17, 2021, event on this page. You can also PARTICIPATE in the current Broadband Breakfast Live Online event. REGISTER HERE.

Wednesday, November 17, 2021, 12 Noon ET — The Changing Nature of the Debate About Social Media and Section 230

Facebook is under fire as never before. In response, the social-networking giant has gone so far as to change its official name, to Meta (as in the “metaverse”). What are the broader concerns about social media beyond Facebook? How will concerns about Facebook’s practices spill over into other social media networks, and to debate about Section 230 of the Communications Act?

Panelists for this Broadband Breakfast Live Online session:

• Scott McCullough, Attorney, McCullough Law Firm
• Shane Tews, Nonresident Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
• Alex Feerst, Co-founder, Digital Trust & Safety Partnership
• Rick Lane, CEO, Iggy Ventures
• Matt Gerst, VP for Legal & Policy Affairs, Internet Association
• Drew Clark (moderator), Editor and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast

Panelist resources:

• Where is Our Intellectual Immune System?, by Alex Feerst in Cato Unbound
• A New Hope For Moderation And Its Discontents?, by Alex Feerst in Techdirt
• Your Speech, Their Rules: Meet the People Who Guard the Internet, by Alex Fierst in OneZero
• Content Moderation: Section 230 Of The Communications Decency Act, from Matt Gerst, by the Internet Association
• A Path Forward For Section 230, from Matt Gerst, by K. Dane Snowden of the Internet Association
• The Reality Of Revoking Section 230, from Matt Gerst, by Jon Berroya of the Internet Association
• Consumers Rely On Section 230 For Holiday Shopping, from Matt Gerst, by the Internet Association
• A co-author of Section on the law’s past, present, and future (with former Rep. Chris Cox), a podcast by Shane Tews from AEI
• Should Section 230 be reformed? (with Neil Fried), a podcast by Shane Tews from AEI
• Antiquated CDA 230 Immunity for TikTok Could Aid China’s Secret Efforts to Undermine U.S. Cyber-Security, by Rick Lane
• CDA 230, Frankenstein, Oppenheimer and the Social Dilemma, by Rick Lane
• Text of Section 230, “Protection for private blocking and screening of offensive material”
• On Regulating Social-Media Platforms, Follow Texas, Not Florida, by Clare Morell in National Review
• Broadband Breakfast Live Online Launches Series on Section 230: Separating Fact from Fiction, 3-Part Series in July 2020

W. Scott McCollough has practiced communications and Internet law for 38 years, with a specialization in regulatory issues confronting the industry.  Clients include competitive communications companies, Internet service and application providers, public interest organizations and consumers.

Shane Tews is a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where she works on international communications, technology and cybersecurity issues, including privacy, internet governance, data protection, 5G networks, the Internet of Things, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. She is also president of Logan Circle Strategies.

Alex Feerst is a lawyer and technologist focused on building systems that foster trust, community, and privacy. He leads Murmuration Labs, which helps tech companies address the risks and human impact of innovative products, and co-founded the Digital Trust & Safety Partnership, the first industry-led initiative to establish best practices for online trust and safety. He was previously Head of Legal and Head of Trust and Safety at Medium, General Counsel at Neuralink, and currently serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Online Trust & Safety, and as a fellow at Stanford University’s Center for Internet and Society.

Rick Lane is a tech policy expert, child safety advocate, and the founder and CEO of Iggy Ventures. Iggy advises and invests in companies and projects that can have a positive social impact. Prior to starting Iggy, Rick served for 15 years as the Senior Vice President of Government Affairs of 21st Century Fox.

Matt Gerst is the Vice President for Legal & Policy Affairs and Associate General Counsel at Internet Association, where he builds consensus on policy positions among IA’s diverse membership of companies that lead the internet industry. Most recently, Matt served as Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at CTIA, where he managed a diverse range of issues including consumer protection, public safety, network resiliency, and universal service. Matt received his J.D. from New York Law School, and he served as an adjunct professor of law in the scholarly writing program at the George Washington University School of Law.

Drew Clark is the Editor and Publisher of BroadbandBreakfast.com and a nationally-respected telecommunications attorney. Drew brings experts and practitioners together to advance the benefits provided by broadband. Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, he served as head of a State Broadband Initiative, the Partnership for a Connected Illinois. He is also the President of the Rural Telecommunications Congress.

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