Techdirt

Rebecca MacKinnon, Wikimedia's VP, discusses the importance of Section 230 in maintaining an open internet. The podcast highlights the role of Section 230 in safeguarding platforms like Wikipedia and the potential negative impact of modifying it. The discussion also explores the disproportionate focus on Section 230 compared to privacy laws and the evolving perceptions of internet platforms.

Media studies professor Nathan Schneider discusses democratic design for online spaces in his book. Topics include contrasting offline and online democratic structures, navigating community standards and trolls, democracy versus feudalism in online communities, rethinking financialization, and balancing decentralization and centralization in online spaces.

Ben Whitelaw, creator of the Everything in Moderation newsletter, joins Mike Masnick to discuss the recent decision from the Oversight Board revealing the most moderated word on Meta's social media sites. They delve into the complexities of content moderation, trade-offs, and the challenges of making policy decisions during conflicts like the one in the Middle East.

We've written a lot about the Murthy case at the Supreme Court, and especially how poor of a job the states did in making their argument. Now, as we await the ruling, there are a lot of questions about what it will look like and how consequential it will be. This week, we're joined by law professor Kate Klonick to discuss what happened, what's likely to come next, and what kind of impact it will have.

Check out Ctrl-Alt-Speech, Mike Masnick's brand new podcast with Ben Whitelaw, creator of the Everything in Moderation newsletter. In this teaser excerpt from last week's episode, Mike and Ben discuss the latest curious and contradictory content moderation decisions by Elon Musk, and a recent article about the risks and challenges associated with how different countries approach internet regulation. Listen to the whole episode covering all the week's biggest news in online speech - and get ready for this week's episode, releasing tomorrow - by visiting ctrlaltspeech.com or subscribing to Ctrl-Alt-Speech on your podcast platform of choice! Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ctrl-alt-speech/id1734530193 Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1734530193 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1N3tvLxUTCR7oTdUgUCQvc Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/93842011-b662-430a-8e51-218433a7e647 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcky6_VTbejGkZ7aHqqc3ZjufeEw2AS7Z More: https://www.ctrlaltspeech.com/

Danny O'Brien, a key figure in founding Techdirt, joins for a discussion on decentralization and 'cognitive liberty'. Topics include trends in online content creation, managing information overload, mobile setup evolution, terminal and instrumental values, cognitive liberty in modern tech, data privacy rights, and the challenges of decentralization.

Check out Ctrl-Alt-Speech, Mike Masnick's brand new podcast with Ben Whitelaw, creator of the Everything in Moderation newsletter. In this teaser excerpt from the debut episode of Ctrl-Alt-Speech, Mike and Ben discuss the US bill that aims to ban TikTok, or at least force ByteDance to divest from it. Listen to the whole episode, covering all the week's biggest news in online speech, by visiting ctrlaltspeech.com or subscribing to Ctrl-Alt-Speech on your podcast platform of choice! Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ctrl-alt-speech/id1734530193 Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1734530193 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1N3tvLxUTCR7oTdUgUCQvc Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/93842011-b662-430a-8e51-218433a7e647 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcky6_VTbejGkZ7aHqqc3ZjufeEw2AS7Z More: https://www.ctrlaltspeech.com/

As is tradition, now that we've announced the winners of our latest public domain game jam, Gaming Like It's 1928, it's time for a special episode of the podcast taking a closer look at them. Just like in past years, Mike is joined by myself and our game design partner Randy Lubin to discuss our thoughts on the winners in all six categories, and a bunch of other great games that didn't quite make the cut.

Discussing the progress of Bluesky, a decentralized social network challenging platforms like Facebook. Exploring user empowerment and privacy, balancing centralization and decentralization, and the federation approach. Also, touching on monetization strategies and the comprehensive vision of the Bluesky project.

Critiquing child safety laws like KOSA, the podcast explores the challenges of protecting kids online. Maureen Flatley discusses the limitations of current solutions and emphasizes the need for stricter laws and consistent protections. The conversation dives into mandated reporting on child sexual abuse material by tech companies, highlighting the struggles faced in implementation and the delicate balance of liability. Insights into Congressional reactions and the role of law enforcement in prioritizing child safety initiatives are also discussed, along with the debate on tech companies and children's mental health.