Katie Harbath was at the center of some of the biggest controversies involving political speech and social media. During her decade at Facebook, where she led the company’s global election-related work, she helped navigate consequential decisions involving political advertising, election interference, misinformation, and content moderation. From the 2016 presidential election and the Cambridge Analytica scandal to growing concerns over online censorship, Harbath was directly involved as Facebook confronted questions about its influence over political speech and public debate.

In her new book, Disrupting Politics, Harbath takes readers behind the scenes of these controversies, recounting the decisions facing Facebook as it navigated competing pressures from politicians, government officials, activists, and the public. Her account raises important questions about the power of technology platforms, who should decide what speech is permitted online, and the role of government in regulating political expression.

Please join us for a discussion of these controversies, emerging challenges involving artificial intelligence and political misinformation, and what lessons Facebook’s experiences offer for today’s debates over free expression, government pressure on social media platforms, and the influence of technology companies in shaping public discourse.

Lunch to follow.