For this project, you are to work in groups of 2 - 4 students to research, analyze, and debate a current public policy issue:
Antitrust regulation.
Social media political ads.
Business in China.
Section 230 of the Communications Act.
The goal of this project is to provide you an opportunity to research a current public policy issue and to analyze the merits of the proposal through the lens of ethics.
For each of these issues, you are provided a proposal. You will need to do research by reading some of the articles listed for each issue (and looking up information on your own) and then record a podcast or video that does the following:
Provides a brief background on the public policy issue.
Describes the merits of the stated proposal.
Discusses the problems with the stated proposal.
Debate whether or not such a proposal is feasible, reasonable, or desirable.
Conclude with a recommendation on whether the proposal should be accepted, rejected, or modified (and how).
Note: While describing the merits and problems to the stated proposal, you should clearly reference the classroom discussions, previous case studies, or articles you read to support your arguments.
I highly recommend you listen to the corresponding Exponent podcast linked underneath each proposal.
Your recording should be between 5 and 15 minutes in length. It should not be totally scripted; instead it should follow a round-robin or panel style discussion of the required components above.
Proposed: Big technology companies such as Google, Amazon, Apple, and Facebook are violating antitrust law and should be broken up.
Antitrust 101: Why everyone is probing Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google
47 attorneys general are investigating Facebook for antitrust violations
Leaked: Mark Zuckerberg threatens “major lawsuit” if President Warren tries to break up Facebook
Microsoft President: Democracy Is At Stake. Regulate Big Tech
How Elizabeth Warren Came Up with a Plan to Break Up Big Tech
Justice Department to Open Broad, New Antitrust Review of Big Tech Companies
Tech Giants Claim Competition Exists. House Dems Don't Buy It
Regulating Big Tech makes them stronger, so they need competition instead
Microsoft Co-Founder Bill Gates Blames Antitrust Case for Windows Mobile Losing to Android
Proposed: Social media companies such as Facebook and Twitter must protect democracy by either fact-checking political ads or outright banning them.
Dear Facebook and Google: Issue a Political Ad Moratorium in the UK (An Open Letter)
I worked on political ads at Facebook. They profit by manipulating us
Twitter blocking all political ads globally starting in November
Why Twitter’s New Restrictions on Political Advertising Make No Sense
Doubt Anyone Who’s Confident That Facebook Should Ban Political Ads
Don't abolish political ads on social media. Stop microtargeting
White House drafting executive order to tackle Silicon Valley’s alleged anti-conservative bias
Proposed: Due to China's human rights record and authoritarian policies, American technology companies should refrain from doing business in China.
Apple’s call to pull the HKMapLive app from its App Store shows how much it needs China
Google is fighting over its ban on Hong Kong protest app The Revolution of Our Times
China Intercepts WeChat Texts From U.S. And Abroad, Researcher Says
One Month, 500,000 Face Scans: How China Is Using A.I. to Profile a Minority
Western Academia Helps Build China’s Automated Racism - Coda Story
How U.S. Tech Giants Are Helping to Build China’s Surveillance State
Proposed: Internet companies should be stripped of the protections provided by Section 230 of the Communications Act and made liable for all content produced on their platforms.
Tech leaders are demanding platforms stop amplifying hate speech
Legal Shield for Websites Rattles Under Onslaught of Hate Speech
The Key to Safety Online Is User Empowerment, Not Censorship
The obscure law that explains why Google backs climate deniers
Why Section 230 Exists and How People Are Still Getting it Wrong
Section 230 Is the Foundation of the Internet, So Why Do Republicans Want to Change It?
Tech critics on both sides have it wrong: Section 230 is not a special privilege
Your project is due at noon, Saturday, November 16. You should upload your podcast or video to a cloud hosting service such as YouTube, Google Drive, Vimeo, or Soundcloud.
To submit your project, one group member should fill out the following form