It's Not Just the Content, It's the Business Model: Democracy's Online Speech Challenge

A Symposium

Tuesday, March 17, 2020
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm

New America
740 15th Street NW Suite 900
Washington, D.C. 20005

Co-sponsored by

American University Washington College of Law, &
American University School of Public Affairs

REGISTER HERE FOR THE CCIPS SYMPOSIUM. (need to update)

Democracy's Online Speech Challenge: Hate speech. Viral disinformation campaigns. Political polarization propelled by targeted ads. These kinds of online content are a dominant public concern in the 2020 election cycle, and policymakers are pushing to regulate content on social media platforms as a result. But these efforts fail to tackle the technological forces that make these messages spread so effectively, to so many people: Algorithms. This event will highlight Ranking Digital Rights’ latest report, the first in a two-part series, on algorithms, targeted advertising, and the urgent need for corporate transparency around these systems. As pressure mounts on Congress to hold internet platforms liable for these kinds of online speech, we argue that we must examine these technological systems, the companies that build and benefit from them, and the profound impact they are having on American democracy. Join Ranking Digital Rights on St. Patrick’s Day for a lively discussion about the challenges of holding tech companies accountable for their social impact and why content restrictions alone won’t fix the internet. 

The event will be livestreamed and recorded

Speakers:

Jen Daskal, Professor and Faculty Director, Tech, Law, Security Program at American University Washington College of Law

Cecilia Kang, national technology correspondent for The New York Times. She writes about regulatory issues such as privacy, cybersecurity, antitrust and the digital divide. 

Shireen Mitchell, American entrepreneur, author, technology analyst, and diversity strategist.     

Ellen Weintraub, an American attorney who serves as a Commissioner on the Federal Election Commission.

Moderator:

Nathalie Maréchal, Senior Policy Analyst, Ranking Digital Rights

Other Information:

Follow the conversation online using #RankingRights and following @rankingrights