event

Barbara van Schewick – Net Neutrality: The Battle to Keep the Internet Open and Free

March 3rd, 2020 - 6:00 pm to 7:20 pm

Building 200, Room 203, Lane History Corner 450 Jane Stanford Way
Stanford, CA 94305

It’s easy to take for granted that we get to use the websites and apps of our choice – or that anyone, with just a few bucks, can start a website that’s accessible to everyone on the internet. That’s thanks to net neutrality, the longstanding principle that we get to decide how we use the Internet, not the companies we pay to get online. But in 2017, the FCC made a radical decision to eliminate all net neutrality protections. In this talk, we will explore what net neutrality is, why it matters for democracy, innovation and free speech, and where we are in the fight to restore strong protections in the U.S.

The Comm230X +1 Speaker Series highlights evolving perspectives at the intersection of the social sector, digital technology, and contemporary society. Winter 2020 speakers are experts from social sector organizations and from the fields of law, journalism, technology, and policy, including Jen Schradie, Catherine Sandoval, and Victoria Baines. Topics covered in the series include journalism, criminal justice, technology use in the social sector, cyber security, technology policy, and digital activism & conservativism.

Dinner served. Please RSVP above.

Speaker Bio

Barbara van Schewick is one of the world’s leading experts on net neutrality. Her book Internet Architecture and Innovation is considered the seminal work on the science, economics, and policy of network neutrality.  Her work has shaped net neutrality protections in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Asia, and Europe, and she was the lead expert on California’s landmark 2018 net neutrality law.