Freedom of Expression and Digital Platforms

8.5.23

Co-sponsored by Rotenstreich Foundation, Israel Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, Israel Internet Association (ISOC-IL), and AI, Ethics & Law Community - TAD Center

Keynote speaker: Prof. Robert Post, Yale Law School
The role of platforms in the digital environment is a continuous conundrum, and now, we are on the verge of a new legal framework. Recent legal developments in Europe, including the Digital Single Market Directive, the Digital Service Act, and the proposed Digital Market Act, challenge the tenets of the regulatory approach to platforms, which prevailed over the past decades. Similarly, in the U.S., new legal initiatives seek to revise the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and call into question the trade-offs embedded in section 230 of the Communication Decency Act, which is currently under consideration in the U.S. Supreme Court. At the same time, governments and international organizations increase their pressure on digital platforms to engage in filtering content on various grounds.
These initiatives to regulate content moderation by social media platforms, shake existing fundamental trade-offs between free speech, civil liberties, and the rule of law. They also call into question the extent to which traditional regulatory measures are fit to address the governance of content by algorithmic measures.
The conference explored these challenges by bringing together legal academics, policy makers, and experts from relevant industries.