The way that tech platforms moderate content is at the heart of many of today’s policy debates
Information Warfare,
“Fake News” &
Propaganda
From the rise of the “fake news” trope to the evolution of computational propaganda to online harassment and disinformation campaigns, focusing on which content to allow without addressing fundamental questions about platform design and values is destined to undermine principles of a free, open and interoperable internet.
Online Harassment
Online harassment is endemic to journalism, especially if you are a woman or minority. Censorship in the age of information warfare increasingly means targeting journalists who attempt to report on sensitive topics and drowning out legitimate journalism. I have consulted with and provided expertise to tech platforms including Google (as well as YouTube and Jigsaw), Facebook, and as a member of Twitter’s Trust & Safety Council, as well as international organizations including the UN, OSCE, and OECD.
The strategy of attacking critics while undermining, drowning out, and delegitimizing real news is at the heart of the information warfare playbook.
Camden Conference Talk “Press Freedom in an Age of Information Warfare“
Countering Violent Extremism
Efforts to counter violent extremism online have had profound repercussions for the media and have given rise to new models of internet governance based on public-private partnerships and greater coordination among tech firms. But eradicating terrorism and extremism from the internet can have unintended consequences on human rights and few policymakers have grappled with the tradeoffs that will have to be made.
Mediated Speech 