1/27/2021: IAP Workshop on Democracy, Disinformation, AI, and Platform Regulation

January 27^th 2021 | 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. | Zoom

The Internet has transformed speech in the 21^st Century. On one hand, billions of individuals and numerous institutions are able to speak and receive information without traditional barriers, thereby reaching an audience that would have otherwise been out of reach for most. On the other hand, this “reach” has been used, abused, and manipulated by speakers who seek to spread disinformation, deceive the public, or just say things that are objectionable to mainstream audiences.  

The CSAIL Computing and Society CoR and the MIT Internet Policy Research Initiative invite you to a workshop that will explore the technical, legal, and cultural factors that shape Internet speech and evaluate the various calls to change either the technical, legal, or organizational framework that governs Internet speech today. As a technical matter, calls for platforms to “do more” to either spot fake content or avoid rewarding incendiary and misleading information will be viewed through the lens of what is technically possible, as well as public policy and societal choices about who should control speech and for what purposes. From a legal perspective, we will evaluate proposed changes in the United States to Section 230, the law that governs Internet platforms responsibility for speech of their users. And we will consider legal frameworks in place in other parts of the world. Finally, we will discuss sociological and cultural questions about the impact of the unique nature of Internet speech on democracy and other institutional concerns.

Register for the Zoom event here: https://mit.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LyqUbqfJRiS34Ba1VHA_Zw