Digital Platforms: Responsibilities Then and Now (Fall 2019)

Professor Jonathan Zittrain

  • John Bowers (Harvard Law School, Berkman Klein Center)

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

From then until now there's been a powerful new framework, "public health," emphasizing the real 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.

4 Day 4: Don’t Cancel this Dinner 4 Day 4: Don’t Cancel this Dinner

10/28

What are the limits to deplatforming? Would deplatforming become more acceptable if we could offer due process for users who risk being deplatformed, perhaps along the lines of Facebook’s external review board or the EFF’s Manila Principles? Should we see the rights of users as substantive or procedural? 
 

4.1. “Terminating Service for 8Chan,” by Matthew Prince, The Cloudflare Blog (2019).

In this blog post, Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince explains his decision to revoke the security protections of 8Chan, an anonymous online message forum set up as a “free speech alternative” to 4Chan. In the era of public health, executives like Prince hold effective control over what can and can’t be said online. Based on what principles does Cloudflare make these decisions? Do you agree with their decision? 
 

“Terminating Service for 8Chan,” by Matthew Prince, The Cloudflare Blog (2019).

4.2. “The Lawless Way to Disable 8Chan” by Evelyn Douek, The Atlantic (2019).

“The Lawless Way to Disable 8Chan” by Evelyn Douek, The Atlantic (2019).

4.3. “AirBnB Cancels Accounts Linked to White Nationalist Rally in Charlottesville” by Jonah Bromwich, The New York Times.

“AirBnB Cancels Accounts Linked to White Nationalist Rally in Charlottesville” by Jonah Bromwich, The New York Times.

4.4. “Uber, Lyft ban right-wing activist after anti-Islamic tweets” by Zac Estrada, The Verge.

“Uber, Lyft ban right-wing activist after anti-Islamic tweets” by Zac Estrada, The Verge.

4.5. “Some Sacramento clubs, bars using facial-recognition software for added safety” by Madison Meyer, ABC.

“Some Sacramento clubs, bars using facial-recognition software for added safety” by Madison Meyer, ABC.