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Section 230 at 30: The Past, Present, and Future of Online Speech and the 26 Words That Created the Internet

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Cato Institute, 1000 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, DC
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Featuring
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR)
Senator Ron Wyden (D‑OR)
Ari Cohn -circle-cropped
Ari Cohn

Lead Counsel, Tech Policy, FIRE
Billy Easley II - circle-cropped
Billy Easley II

Lead Public Policy Manager, Reddit
Eric Goldman-circle-cropped
Eric Goldman

Associate Dean of Research, Professor of Law, and Co-Director, High Tech Law Institute, Santa Clara University School of Law

Samir Jain-circle-cropped
Samir Jain

Vice President of Policy, Center for Democracy & Technology

A Kazaryan portrait
Ashkhen Kazaryan

Senior Legal Fellow, The Future of Free Speech
Mike Masnick - circle-cropped
Mike Masnick

CEO and Founder, Techdirt

Jessica Melugin
Jessica Melugin

Director of the Center for Technology & Innovation, Competitive Enterprise Institute
Jess Miers-circle-cropped-2
Jess Miers

Assistant Professor of Law, University of Akron School of Law

Matt Perault - circle-cropped
Matt Perault

Head of AI Policy, Andreessen Horowitz
mattreader_cropped-circle
Matt Reeder

Head of Legal, BlueSky

Gary Shapiro
Gary Shapiro

Consumer Technology Association

Thirty years ago, as part of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, Section 230 became law. The law was the result of a bipartisan effort that saw the potential of the internet and sought to encourage innovation and opportunities for online speech. Thirty years later, the law remains crucial to users and innovators of all sizes; however, it has been criticized by both the left and the right.

Join us for a day featuring panels on the history of Section 230, the current impact, debates, and legal challenges around the law, and how it might interact with future content moderation strategies including decentralization and technologies such as artificial intelligence. The event will also feature a live virtual conversation with one of Section 230’s co-authors, Senator Ron Wyden (D‑OR).

A reception will follow.

Schedule

10:00 - 10:05 AM

Opening

10:05 - 11:25 AM

Panel 1: Past: Section 230’s origins and early interpretations

Eric Goldman, Associate Dean of Research, Professor of Law, and Co-Director, High Tech Law Institute, Santa Clara University School of Law
Samir Jain, Vice President of Policy, Center for Democracy & Technology
Jessica Melugin, Director of the Center for Technology & Innovation, Competitive Enterprise Institute
Moderated by Thomas A. Berry, Director, Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies, Cato Institute

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Virtual Fireside Chat with Senator Ron Wyden (D‑OR)

12:00 - 1:00 PM

Lunch

1:00 - 2:20 PM

Panel 2: Present: Current Debates and Challenges Regarding Section 230

Ari Cohn, Lead Counsel, Tech Policy, FIRE
Billy Easley II, Lead Public Policy Manager, Reddit
Ashkhen Kazaryan, Senior Legal Fellow, The Future of Free Speech
Gary Shapiro, Executive Chair & CEO, Consumer Technology Association
Moderated by David Inserra, Fellow for Free Expression and Technology, Cato Institute

2:20 - 2:35 PM

Break

2:35 - 3:55 PM

Panel 3: Future: Section 230 and emerging content moderation strategies and AI

Mike Masnick, CEO and Founder, Techdirt
Jess Miers, Assistant Professor of Law, University of Akron School of Law
Matt Perault, Head of AI Policy, Andreessen Horowitz
Matt Reeder, Head of Legal, BlueSky
Moderated by Jennifer Huddleston, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute

3:55 - 4:00 PM

Closing and dismissal to reception

Additional Resources

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