March Topic: The End of the Internet As We Know It? 

The way social media companies work, the way they make their money, is based on recommending certain content to certain users. Should they be held liable if that content comes from a terrorist? Two blockbuster cases before the US Supreme Court hinge on that question and on Section 230, the federal law that protects social media companies from liability for the content that third parties post on their sites. The court’s ruling could have a huge impact on big tech and government regulation going forward. Learn more about these cases, Section 230, and implications for our democracy in a conversation with Maine expert Professor Scott Bloomberg of the UMaine School of Law. 

Scott Bloomberg joined the University of Maine School of Law as an associate professor in August 2020. His research and writing focus on the areas of Cannabis Law, Privacy Law and the First Amendment Speech Clause, and Constitutional Law more generally.  Professor Bloomberg is also the Director of Maine Law’s Information Privacy Law Certificate Program.

Suggested reading:

The Supreme Court takes up Section 230  |  by Tom Wheeler, visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution

About the series:

Disinformation. Conspiracy theories. Extremism. Surveillance. Our democracy is threatened as never before by toxic online content. The social media giants seem unable, or in some cases unwilling, to control the flood of lies and manipulative practices. The staggering — often hidden — reach of Big Tech into our lives endangers civil society, our civil rights, and our privacy. In a "post-truth" world we risk losing the shared understanding that underpins our democracy. 

Each month, we explore a different facet of this crisis with guest experts. Join us to learn, discuss, and work on possible solutions.