Benton Institute for Broadband & Society - Digital Content

Censorship

https://benton.org/blog/stop-fanning-flames

Platforms

Stop Fanning The Flames

Robbie McBeath — Mon, 05 Nov 2018 23:46:23 +0000

The power of communication and the exchange of ideas were starkly brought home recently as news of bombs being delivered to Americans’ homes and businesses, and the murder of worshipers in Pittsburgh dominated headlines everywhere. President Donald Trump and some of his Republican allies appear to be actively engaged in a feedback loop with extremists who participate in the darkest online forums. By empowering the views found there, they condone a widening of the boundaries of acceptable speech and turn a blind eye to bigotry, xenophobia, and hate. For each of us, there’s a responsibility to hold our leaders accountable. Are they dampening the flames or fanning them? Are they using extinguishers – or matches? If we want to return to the mutual good faith and collaborative spirit that characterize a healthy democracy, we need leaders who will use their positions of power and influence to tone down the rancor and smother the kind of speech that incited the extremism and violence that led to the tragedies of Charleston and Pittsburgh.

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President Donald Trump and some of his Republican allies appear to be actively engaged in a feedback loop with extremists who participate in the darkest online forums.

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Author:

Adrianne Furniss

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Tue, 11/06/2018

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Daily Digest 11/5/2018

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Mon, 11/05/2018

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Editorial

https://www.benton.org/blog/time-change-terms

Platforms

Time to Change the Terms

benton — Thu, 25 Oct 2018 16:46:52 +0000

The Benton Foundation is joining 40 civil and human rights organizations that believe that online companies need to do more to combat hateful conduct on their platforms. We are asking that these companies adopt corporate policies to prohibit hateful activities on their platforms. They should make it clear what type of conduct is and is not permitted on their platform and remove any U.S. clients that violate those corporate policies. Although Benton has always championed free speech, today we draw a line. We oppose activities that incite or engage in violence, threats, intimidation, harassment, defamation, or illegality targeting an individual or group based on their actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, immigration status, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability. That’s a mouthful, so let me try to be plainer. The old adage about “sticks and stones” may be true, but words do matter. Violence, threats, intimidation, harassment, defamation, and targeting cross a line to impose will instead of reason, to give one’s interests advantage by denying another person’s safety. Peace rests on the inherent rights and dignities of every individual.

[Adrianne B. Furniss is the Executive Director of the Benton Foundation]

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Violence, threats, intimidation, harassment, defamation, and targeting cross a line

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https://www.benton.org/blog/us-needs-new-policy-framework-open-internet-ecosyste…

Author:

Adrianne Furniss

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Fri, 10/26/2018

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Daily Digest 10/25/2018

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Thu, 10/25/2018

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The U.S. Needs a New Policy Framework for an Open Internet Ecosystem

benton — Mon, 23 Jul 2018 11:30:02 +0000

[Analysis] In a new article for the Georgetown Law Technology Review, I seek to jumpstart a conversation about how to shape an Internet ecosystem that will serve the public interest. First, let me lay out the rationale for a new, unified policy framework for an open Internet: 1) Lack of Competition/Incentive and Ability to Discriminate, 2) Collection of and Control over Personal Data, 3) Lack of Transparency, and 4) Inadequacy of Current Laws and Enforcement.

[Gigi B. Sohn is a Distinguished Fellow, Georgetown Law Institute for Technology Law & Policy and Benton Senior Fellow and Public Advocate]

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Benton Original Content

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In a new article for the Georgetown Law Technology Review, I seek to jumpstart a conversation about how to shape an Internet ecosystem that will serve the public interest. First, let me lay out the rationale for a new, unified policy framework for an open Internet.

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https://www.justice.gov/opa/speech/assistant-attorney-general-makan-delrahim-del…

Author:

Gigi Sohn

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Mon, 07/23/2018

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Daily Digest 7/20/2018

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Mon, 07/23/2018

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Analysis

Agenda

Upcoming policy issue

Stand By Me: The Consumer Welfare Standard and the First Amendment

benton — Tue, 12 Jun 2018 14:52:03 +0000

In America we want institutions that make our democracy strong—that seems like a no brainer. So as one line of thinking goes, antitrust enforcers should step beyond consumer welfare and think about what would be good or bad for our democracy, or for values like the free speech the First Amendment protects. The suggestion is that perhaps enforcers should broaden the consumer welfare lens to think about effects on democracy or expression. I’d like to focus my remarks today on two responses to that suggestion. First, we shouldn’t go down that road, because enforcement actions purportedly aimed at supporting our democracy carry too great a risk of inadvertently undermining our constitutional values. Second, we don’t need to go beyond the consumer welfare standard, because it can get the job done on its own.

As you consider the health of our democracy and the role of media platforms and other institutions in it, I urge you to recall the surest path to undermining the First Amendment: exercising government power based on viewpoint. The consumer welfare standard does not blind us as enforcers; it focuses our decisions on appropriate considerations like price, output, innovation, quality, and choice. Enforcement of the free markets for the benefit of consumers can be achieved with greater success, and greater fidelity to the rule of law, within the contours of the consumer welfare standard, than without.

[Makan Delrahim is the United States Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division]

Benton Content:

Teaser:

Should antitrust enforcers step beyond consumer welfare and think about what would be good or bad for our democracy?

Source:

Department of Justice

Author:

Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim

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Wed, 06/13/2018

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Daily Digest 6/12/2018

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Tue, 06/12/2018

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Speech

https://www.benton.org/blog/facebook-bug-our-democracy-part-2

Ownership

Is Facebook a 'Bug' in Our Democracy? Part 2

benton — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 11:31:54 +0000

[Commentary] Is it time to recognize that Facebook, and ‘Big Tech’ at large, may be a bug in our democracy? In Part 1, I examined how the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica story illustrates the harmful effects of “Surveillance Capitalism.” The erosion of our privacy is contributing to the declining health of our democratic discourse. Moreover though, Facebook has facilitated the proliferation of hate speech, fake news, and international electoral interference. In the space vacated by traditional, reliable journalism, political campaigns have stepped in, working hand-in-hand with data miners to exploit our personal information to, it now seems, dramatically impact our elections. "Our goal is to build the perfect personalized newspaper for every person in the world. We're trying to personalize it and show you the stuff that's going to be most interesting to you," said Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg in 2014.

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"Our goal is to build the perfect personalized newspaper for every person in the world. We're trying to personalize it and show you the stuff that's going to be most interesting to you," said Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg in 2014.

Source:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-microsoft/u-s-supreme-court-wrestle…

Author:

Robbie McBeath

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Tue, 04/10/2018

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Daily Digest 4/9/2018

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Tue, 04/10/2018

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U.S. Supreme Court wrestles with Microsoft data privacy fight

Robbie McBeath — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 21:48:46 +0000

Supreme Court justices wrestled with Microsoft’s dispute with the US Justice Department over whether prosecutors can force technology companies to hand over data stored overseas, with some signaling support for the government and others urging Congress to pass a law to resolve the issue. Microsoft argues that laws have not caught up to modern computing infrastructure and it should not hand over data stored internationally. The Justice Department argues that refusing to turn over easily accessible data impedes criminal investigations.

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito, both conservatives, indicated sympathy during an hour-long argument in the case toward the Justice Department’s stance that because Microsoft is based in the United States it was obligated to turn over data held abroad sought by prosecutors in a US warrant. Liberal justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor questioned whether the court needed to act in the closely watched case in light of Congress now considering bipartisan legislation that would resolve the legal issue.

Benton Content:

http://money.cnn.com/2018/02/27/technology/microsoft-data-privacy-arguments-supr…

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/02/microsoft-doesnt-want-to-turn-over-f…

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-27/u-s-supreme-court-grapples-wi…

http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-court-microsoft-20180227-story.html

Teaser:

Supreme Court justices wrestled with Microsoft’s dispute with the U.S. Justice Department over whether prosecutors can force technology companies to hand over data stored overseas, with some signaling support for the government and others urging Congress to pass a law to resolve the issue.

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High

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Wed, 02/28/2018

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Daily Digest 2/27/2018

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Tue, 02/27/2018

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Reporting

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/16/us/politics/russians-indicted-mueller-electio…

13 Russians Indicted by Special Counsel in First Charges on 2016 Election Interference

benton — Fri, 16 Feb 2018 19:17:21 +0000

The special counsel investigating Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election charged 13 Russian nationals and three Russian organizations owith illegally using social media platforms to sow political discord, including actions that supported the presidential candidacy of Donald Trump and disparaged his opponent, Hillary Clinton. In a 37-page indictment filed in United States District Court, Mueller said that the 13 individuals have conspired since 2014 to violate laws that prohibit foreigners from spending money to influence federal elections in the United States. The indictment charges that the foreigners falsely posed as American citizens, stole identities and otherwise engaged in fraud and deceit in an effort to influence the U.S. political process, including the 2016 presidential race. Though the Russians are unlikely to be immediately arrested, they are now wanted by the United States government, which will make it hard for them to travel or do business internationally. All were charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States. Three defendants were also charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, and five defendants with aggravated identity theft.

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New York Times

Author:

Sharon LaFraniere

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High

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Mon, 02/19/2018

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Daily Digest 2/16/2018

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Fri, 02/16/2018

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Disney to Buy Fox. Was The Repeal of Net Neutrality A Factor?

Robbie McBeath — Thu, 21 Dec 2017 22:46:44 +0000

On the same day the Federal Communications Commission voted to repeal its 2015 network neutrality rules, the Walt Disney Company announced a deal to buy most of 21st Century Fox. The all-stock transaction is valued at roughly $52.4 billion. If approved, Disney would go from being “a juggernaut to being a megajuggernaut.” Disney hopes the acquisition of Fox’s sports and entertainment content will give it new market power in the growing online distribution market (streaming services). The FCC’s move is not unrelated. The repeal of net neutrality empowers internet service providers; a Disney colossus will have the heft to negotiate favorable terms with any broadband carrier. But how will the Department of Justice view the deal?

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Benton Original Content

https://www.benton.org/blog/disney-buy-fox-was-repeal-net-neutrality-factor

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Source:

Author:

Robbie McBeath

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High

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Fri, 12/22/2017

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Daily Digest 12/21/2017

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Thu, 12/21/2017

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Analysis