Who's Afraid of Online Speech?

Free speech has long been a cornerstone of American democracy, but the ubiquity and intimacy of online content is now challenging our society’s once-unshakable belief in the appeal of unfettered speech. In this age of hacks, trolls, fake news and digital hate speech, lawmakers, citizens and the tech companies that control our access to the internet and social media are rethinking how much we should police online content for veracity and for its potential to do harm.

Does the triumph of social media platforms mean we should revisit the protections given to online speech at the turn of the Internet Age? What role should the government play in protecting consumers from disinformation and harassment? Should formidable gatekeepers like Facebook and Google now exercise the type of editorial judgment we expect from The New York Times and Washington Post?

Join Future Tense as we assess current fears about online speech and the promise and peril of proposals to address to them. 

Lunch will be provided. 

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America and Arizona State University. 

Agenda: 

12:00–12:10 p.m.
Opening Remarks

• April Glaser: @aprilaser; staff writer, Slate 

12:10–12:50 p.m. 
Regulating Political Speech in the Age of Digital Disinformation

• Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.: @amyklobuchar; chair, Senate Democratic Steering Committee; ranking member, Rules Committee 

• Dan Gillmor: @dangillmor; director and co-founder, News Co/Lab at Arizona State University; professor of practice, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University; author, "Mediactive" and "We the Media: Grassroots Journalism by the People, for the People" 

• Moderator, Cecilia Kang: @ceciliakang; national technology correspondent, The New York Times 

12:50–1:30 p.m.
Does the Internet Require Us to Rethink Free Speech?

• Rep. Ted W. Lieu, D-Calif.: @reptedlieu; member, House Committees on the Judiciary and Foreign Affairs 

• Jennifer Daskal: @jendaskal; associate professor of law, Washington College of Law at American University 

• Kate Klonick: @klonick; Future Tense fellow, New America; candidate, Yale Law School; Resident fellow, Information Society Project at Yale Law School 

• Moderator, Cecilia Kang: @ceciliakang; national technology correspondent, The New York Times 

1:30–2:20 p.m. 
How Can Platforms Fix Online Speech?

• Andrew McLaughlin: @McAndrew; co-founder and partner, Higher Ground Labs; executive director of the Center for Innovative Thinking at Yale; Future Tense fellow, New America 

• Caroline Sinders: @carolinesinders; product analyst, Wikimedia Foundation 

• Whitney Phillips: @wphillips49; assistant professor of literary studies and writing, Mercer University; author, "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things;" co-author, "The Ambivalent Internet"

• Dipayan Ghosh: @ghoshd7; Public Interest Technology fellow, New America; Joan Shorenstein fellow, Harvard Kennedy School; former technology and economic policy adviser, The White House; former privacy and public policy adviser, Facebook  

• Moderator, April Glaser: @aprilaser; staff writer, Slate

Future Tense

riley@newamerica.org

https://www.newamerica.org/