Conference 

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

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Date and Time 

February 26, 2026 10 AM - 4 PM EST 

Location 

Cato Institute, 1000 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, DC 

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##### Featuring 

![Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR)](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2026-01/Sen.%20Ron%20Wyden%20%28D-OR%29-circle-cropped.jpg?itok=TJgxhovI) 

Senator Ron Wyden (D‑OR) 

[![Thomas Berry](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2026-02/2025-10-16-Thomas%20Berry-sq_0.jpg?itok=SW7WagUw)](/people/thomas-berry) 

[Thomas A. Berry](/people/thomas-berry)

Director, Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies, Cato Institute

[ 

](https://x.com/Thomas_A_Berry) [ 

](mailto:tberry@cato.org) 

![Ari Cohn -circle-cropped](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2026-01/Ari%20Cohn%20-circle-cropped.jpg?itok=bQcOUbJo) 

Ari Cohn 

Lead Counsel, Tech Policy, FIRE

[ 

](https://x.com/AriCohn) 

![Billy Easley II - circle-cropped](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2026-01/Billy%20Easley%20II%20-%20circle-cropped.jpg?itok=k8CkBHlu) 

Billy Easley II 

Lead Public Policy Manager, Reddit

[ 

](https://x.com/billyez2) 

![Eric Goldman-circle-cropped](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2026-01/Eric%20Goldman-circle-cropped.jpg?itok=vKJ-h5ie) 

Eric Goldman 

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

[![Jennifer-Huddleston-img-cropped2.jpg](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2023-06/Jennifer-Huddleston-img-cropped2.jpg?itok=nA04B0o7)](/people/jennifer-huddleston) 

[Jennifer Huddleston](/people/jennifer-huddleston)

Senior Fellow, Cato Institute

[ 

](https://x.com/jrhuddles) 

[![David-Inserra-cropped.jpg](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2023-11/David-Inserra-cropped.jpg?itok=UVcZA19i)](/people/david-inserra) 

[David Inserra](/people/david-inserra)

Fellow for Free Expression and Technology, Cato Institute

[ 

](https://x.com/dr_inserra) 

![Samir Jain-circle-cropped](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2026-01/Samir%20Jain-circle-cropped.jpg?itok=Wu0cFBNq) 

Samir Jain 

Vice President of Policy, Center for Democracy & Technology

![A Kazaryan portrait](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2024-02/a-kazaryan.jpeg?itok=q20YvQ95) 

Ashkhen Kazaryan 

Senior Legal Fellow, The Future of Free Speech

[ 

](https://x.com/Ashkhen) 

![Mike Masnick - circle-cropped](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2026-01/Mike%20Masnick%20-%20circle-cropped.jpg?itok=deYrWHmD) 

Mike Masnick 

CEO and Founder, Techdirt

![Jessica Melugin](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2024-08/Jessica-Melugin%20Cropped.jpg?itok=27EAcJth) 

Jessica Melugin 

Director of the Center for Technology & Innovation, Competitive Enterprise Institute

[ 

](https://x.com/melugin_p) 

![Jess Miers-circle-cropped-2](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2026-01/Jess%20Miers-circle-cropped-2.jpg?itok=_0ljOMdv) 

Jess Miers 

Assistant Professor of Law, University of Akron School of Law

![Matt Perault - circle-cropped](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2026-01/Matt%20Perault%20-%20circle-cropped.jpg?itok=2UssU7Mc) 

Matt Perault 

Head of AI Policy, Andreessen Horowitz

[ 

](https://x.com/MattPerault) 

![mattreader_cropped-circle](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2026-01/mattreader_cropped-circle.jpg?itok=a4hQA5VU) 

Matt Reeder 

Head of Legal, BlueSky

![Gary Shapiro](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2024-08/gary-shapiro.jpeg?itok=yM-a_FKe) 

Gary Shapiro 

Consumer Technology Association

[ 

](https://twitter.com/GaryShapiro) 

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**](https://www.cato.org/people/thomas-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**](https://www.cato.org/people/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**](https://www.cato.org/people/jennifer-huddleston), Senior Fellow, Cato Institute

3:55 - 4:00 PM 

**Closing and dismissal to reception**

---

### Additional Resources

- “[Zeran v. America Online E‑Resource](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3663839)” by Eric Goldman & Jeff Kosseff
- “[An Overview of the United States’ Section 230 Internet Immunity](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3306737)” by Eric Goldman
- “[Why Section 230 Is Better Than the First Amendment](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3351323)” by Eric Goldman
- “[Want to Kill Facebook and Google? Preserving Section 230 Is Your Best Hope](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3398631)” by Eric Goldman
- “[Dear President Biden: You Should Save, Not Revoke, Section 230](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3765247)” by Eric Goldman
- “[Is AI a Horse or a Zebra When It Comes to the First Amendment?](https://www.cato.org/blog/ai-horse-or-zebra-when-it-comes-first-amendment)” by Jennifer Huddleston
- “[Content Creators, Entrepreneurial Users, and the Impact of Tech Policy](https://www.cato.org/policy-analysis/content-creators-entrepreneurial-users-impact-tech-policy)” by Jennifer Huddleston
- “[Does Section 230 Cover Generative AI?](https://www.cato.org/blog/does-section-230-cover-generative-ai)” by Jennifer Huddleston
- “[A Guide to Content Moderation for Policymakers](https://www.cato.org/policy-analysis/guide-content-moderation-policymakers)” by David Inserra
- “[Trump Is Using the ‘Misinformation’ Censorship Playbook Republicans Attacked Biden for](https://www.cato.org/commentary/trump-using-misinformation-censorship-playbook-republicans-attacked-biden)” by David Inserra
- “[New Court Decision Out of Portugal Shows How Essential Section 230 Is to a Free Internet](https://www.cato.org/blog/new-court-decision-out-portugal-shows-how-essential-section-230-free-internet)” by David Inserra

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