Digital Platforms in the Age of Content Moderation

  • William Marks (Harvard Law School)

The conventional wisdom around the responsibilities of platforms like Facebook, Google, and Amazon has evolved greatly. 1995-2010 saw the era of “rights,” in which the prevailing view was one of intermediaries’ abstention from shaping the flow of users’ contributions. 

 

From then until now there’s been a new framework, “public health,” emphasizing the harms that can result from unchecked online activity, just as AI techniques promise new ways to scale platforms’ monitoring and intervention in the activities they facilitate.

 

What’s next? We'll explore.

3 The Future, or (maybe) the Era of Legitimacy 3 The Future, or (maybe) the Era of Legitimacy

3.1. “Mark Zuckerberg Wants to Democratize Facebook — Here’s What Happened When He Tried” by Adi Robertson, The Verge (2018).

“Mark Zuckerberg Wants to Democratize Facebook — Here’s What Happened When He Tried” by Adi Robertson, The Verge (2018).

3.2. “Google’s Comment-Ranking System Will Be a Hit with the Alt-Right” by Violet Blue, Engadget (2017).

“Google’s Comment-Ranking System Will Be a Hit with the Alt-Right” by Violet Blue, Engadget (2017).

3.3. “Just in CASE: Legislation Proposing Small-Claims Court for Copyright Disputes Headed to Congress” by Lauren Heperi, BYU Copyright (2019).

“Just in CASE: Legislation Proposing Small-Claims Court for Copyright Disputes Headed to Congress” by Lauren Heperi, BYU Copyright (2019).

3.4. “A Jury of Random People Can Do Wonders for Facebook” by Jonathan Zittrain, The Atlantic (2019).

“A Jury of Random People Can Do Wonders for Facebook” by Jonathan Zittrain, The Atlantic (2019).

3.5. “Twitter's Least-Bad Option for Dealing with Donald Trump” by Jonathan Zittrain, The Atlantic (2020).

“Twitter's Least-Bad Option for Dealing with Donald Trump” by Jonathan Zittrain, The Atlantic (2020).

3.6. “Section 230 Does Not Need a Revocation. It Needs a Revision.” by the Editorial Board, The Washington Post (2020).

“Section 230 Does Not Need a Revocation. It Needs a Revision.” by the Editorial Board, The Washington Post (2020).

3.7. “The Facebook Oversight Board: Creating an Independent Institution to Adjudicate Online Free Expression” by Kate Klonick, Yale Law Journal (2020). [Read Abstract, Introduction, Sections I & III, Conclusion].

“The Facebook Oversight Board: Creating an Independent Institution to Adjudicate Online Free Expression” by Kate Klonick, Yale Law Journal (2020). [Read Abstract, Introduction, Sections I & III, Conclusion].