Digital Platform Governance Symposium

Think about how often you’ve checked your phone today. How many times did you go on Twitter to look at a friend’s post? On Facebook to check the news? On Amazon to see if your package was delivered? On Google to, well, google a question?

Digital platforms connect people to information, products, services, and to each other. As platforms become increasingly prevalent, how we govern them becomes increasingly important. Regulatory choices—made by the government and by platforms themselves—play a crucial role in shaping what we see, hear, and experience online. Such choices also shape the costs and benefits of platforms to society.

Our symposium on digital platform governance covers three evolving areas of platform regulation. First, it considers ways to manage content moderation on platforms, with a focus on striking a balance between freedom of speech and the risk of misinformation. Second, our symposium discusses the impact of platform regulation on competition and national security. Would regulating (or breaking up) the tech giants put the United States at an international disadvantage? Finally, our symposium examines how platform governance intersects with privacy and surveillance.

In discussing the topics above, our symposium focuses on two key questions. First, what type of governance is needed in each sphere? Second, who should be in charge of implementing that governance? In essence, we ask what needs to be done and who should decide how to do it.

Content Moderation panel - 11:30am: Dr. Pawel Popiel, Professor Kyle Langvardt, Professor Eric Goldman

Privacy and Surveillance panel - 1:00pm: Riana Pfefferkorn, Todd Hinnen, Professor Neil Richards

Zoom link: https://stanford.zoom.us/j/91923168638?pwd=dXJhaFo2WnhyUVlaQnNTZU1rVzFr…

Passcode: 365243