Big Tech
‘The Time for Self-Regulation is Over’: House Committee Member Wants Action on Big Tech
And the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League calls for Section 230 reform.
Free Speech
Debates about the role of free speech have been transformed by broadband internet services.
Big Tech
Free Speech Advocates Contemplate International Human Rights Obligations on Big Tech
Experts want corporations held to standards for the volume of information on their platforms.
CTA
Head of Big Tech Lobby Group Says Repealing Section 230 Unconstitutional
CTA CEO said abolishing intermediary liability protections violates private industry protections against government interference.
FCC
Biden Revokes Trump-Era Executive Order Designed To Crack Down On Big Tech
Biden orders FCC and FTC to stand down on Trump-era order targeting social media companies.
Judiciary
Supreme Court Declares Trump First Amendment Case Moot, But Legal Issues For Social Media Coming
April 5, 2021—Despite accepting a petition that avoids the Supreme Court deliberating on whether a president can block social media users, Justice Clarence Thomas on Monday issued a volley that may foreshadow future legal issues surrounding social media in the United States. On Monday, the Supreme C
Free Speech
Experts Reexamining Role of Targeted Ads and Political Extremism in Wake of January 6 Attack
March 25, 2021—In the wake of rioters storming the Capital Building on January 6, experts and social media platforms are reexamining the role of targeted ads and content on virtual platforms. Experts are divided on how to proceed on the future of targeted content. Some cautioned that its nature allo
Expert Opinion
Trevor Wagener: State Regulation of Content Moderation Would Create Enormous Legal Costs for Platforms
Dozens of bills regulating internet content moderation have been proposed in at least 30 state legislatures, and one in Utah currently sits on the governor’s desk awaiting his veto or signature. If enacted, many of the bills would impose prescriptive state regulations governing internet content mode
Free Speech
Legal Digital Framework Must Be Created For Content Moderation, Says Head of European Court of Human Rights
March 16, 2021—The president of the European Court of Human Rights is recommending an autonomous legal body that oversees a digital framework for content moderation. Róbert Spanó said Tuesday, at a talk hosted by the German Marshall Fund of the United States, that the framework would serve as a digi
China
Telecom Companies Need To Challenge Governments Over Internet Shutdowns: Advocacy Groups
March 13, 2021 – Internet shutdowns by governments around the globe are impacting their connectivity-dependent segments, including education and business, and citizens should pressure telecom companies to take action against the authors of those blackouts, experts said Tuesday. Internet blackouts in
Free Speech
Traditional Media Must Take Unilateral Action On Disinformation, Says Journalist Soledad O’Brien
February 25, 2021 – Broadcasters and cable news stations must unilaterally – without the need for government intervention – follow stricter standards and proper due diligence before booking guests to slow the spread of disinformation. Over the past few years, with the nation increasingly divided, it
Free Speech
Conflicting Arguments on Internet Censorship at Research Session on Free Speech and Societal Harmony
February 22, 2021 – Panelists at a communications research conference on Thursday were divided about how to reconcile free speech rights and regulating disinformation on the internet. The townhall at TPRC48 – which stand for Telecommunications Policy Research Conference – generally followed the Chat
EU
Social Media an Extremely Important Outlet for Belarusian Independent Journalists
February 8, 2021 – Social media remains an important means for journalists in Belarus to fight state repressions, said Alexander Lukashuk, director of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and other on a panel of journalists gathered by the Atlantic Council on Thursday. Many journalists in the Eastern Eu
Free Speech
Permanent Suspension of Donald Trump From Facebook Now in the Hands of its Oversight Board Subsidiary
February 7, 2021—After the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, Facebook was one of the first big tech platforms to ban former President Donald Trump from posting, announcing on January 7 that his suspension would last at least until the inauguration of President Joe Biden. Following the i
BBC
Can Geofencing Provide a Defense Against Contempt of Court Over an Australian Gag Order?
February 2, 2021—Can a global news organization be held liable for breaching a court order in Australia when their publications never set foot down under? And is “geofencing” by digital news organizations – in which they block access to content based on geography – an effective defense against conte
Free Speech
Social Media Conspiracies Fuel Extremism, Says GWU Panel
January 22, 2021—Social media is an accelerant that spreads conspiracy theories and feeds extremist ideology, and was ultimately the cause of the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, said experts on a George Washington University panel on Thursday. Despite the rioters being a hodgepodge of different extr
Free Speech
UPDATED: Twitter Locks Account of President Donald Trump and Deletes Three Inciting Tweets
Update, 7:07 p.m. ET, January 6, 2021 – Twitter has deleted both of the Tweets identified in the story below. They also deleted a third Tweet, sent soon after 6 p.m. ET, which read: “These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciousl
