Internet

Media and Content

The easy availability of information on the Internet may lead to the commoditization of content. However, if content is free or low cost, it may be difficult for those who produce it (like journalists) to earn a living. Economists and other scholars examine this tension and suggest various solutions.

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Quotes

Australia’s Draft Law Gives Facebook a Free Pass

Where will this end up? It will end up with the large digital platforms doing deals with the largest news outlets. Those deals will be multi-year lump-sum payments that enable everyone to go about their business. — Joshua Gans, Professor of Strategic Management, University of Toronto
Joshua Gans
Source: Asia Times
February 19, 2021

Facebook Blocks News in Australia, Diverging With Google on Proposed Law

“Google is already used to playing a different game in every different country; they may have gotten beyond this fantasy of a universalized approach to doing business in the world.” — Siva Vaidhyanathan, Professor of Media Studies, University of Virgina
Siva Vaidhyanathan
Source: The New York Times
February 17, 2021

User Pact, Section 230 Likely to Shield Robinhood, Reddit From Lawsuits

“The whole point of section 230 is to enable sites like Reddit to allow conversations to take place. Knowing that some conversations will be antisocial and in some cases illegal, section 230 says that’s not the responsibility of the service that creates the venue of those conversations.” — Eric Goldman, Professor of Law, Santa Clara University
Eric Goldman
Source: Insurance Journal
February 1, 2021

What a Full Repeal of Section 230 Would Look Like

“Even in the best-case scenario, it’s going to take a decade or more to get enough First Amendment jurisprudence to the point where other entrepreneurs might feel comfortable relying upon it” — Eric Goldman, Professor of Internet Law , Santa Clara University


Eric Goldman
Source: The National Journal
January 4, 2021

Tech Tent: Is Facebook Fixable?

"Facebook was basically caught flat-footed, even though anybody who studies American politics would have known that one of our two political parties would do everything it could to delegitimise the process." — Siva Vaidhyanathan, Professor of Modern Media Studies, University of Virginia


Siva Vaidhyanathan
Source: BBC.com
November 13, 2020

US Pundits Question Trump's Attempt to Ban Tiktok, Wechat

“We are behind the curve on misinformation and there's plenty of domestic misinformation in the US. Leading up to the election, it's going to be insane.” — James Dempsey, Executive Director, Berkeley Center for Law & Technology


James Dempsey
Source: Global Times
October 11, 2020

One Person’s Internet Junk Is Another Person’s Treasure

“People who would be protected by this bill dehumanize other individuals, call people cockroaches. It might be legal, but it’s terrible.” — Eric Goldman, Professor of Law, Santa Clara University
Eric Goldman
Source: Mercury News
September 10, 2020

Mark Zuckerberg Is the Most Powerful Unelected Man in America

“I’m not sure Mark Zuckerberg is even willing to contemplate his influence. I’m not sure he’d ever sleep if he ever thought about how much power he has.” — Siva Vaidhyanathan, Professor of Media Studies, University of Virginia
Siva Vaidhyanathan
Source: The New York Times
September 3, 2020

Facebook Curbs Political Ads for 7 Days Before U.S. Election

“Facebook’s biggest problem has always been enforcement. Even when it creates reasonable policies that seem well-meaning, it gets defeated by its own scale.” — Siva Vaidhyanathan, Professor of Media Studies, University of Virginia
Siva Vaidhyanathan
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
September 3, 2020

The Two Faces of Facebook's Election Plans

“Facebook doesn't quite understand the nature of the problem, and doesn’t quite understand the nature of Facebook.” — Siva Vaidhyanathan, Director, Center for Media and Citizenship, University of Virginia
Siva Vaidhyanathan
Source: Wired
June 22, 2020
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Restoring the CDA Section 230 to What It Actually Says

Professor Daniel Solove, George Washington University, explains why he believes Section 230 “…should be restored to its original meaning and purpose – a much more limited scope than it has now.” He discusses how recovering distributor liability would promote greater responsibility for platforms and ISPs.

Daniel J. Solove

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Internet Governance at the Network, Application, and Content Layers

April 14, 2021,  

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Featured Article

AT&T Shellacs the Government in Time Warner Merger Case

In June of 2018, United States District Court Judge Richard Leon ruled that government failed to provide enough evidence to enjoin the merger of AT&T with Time Warner.

By: Randal Picker

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