Saturday, July 23, 2016: 11:00 am (Noether): This spring, the FCC’s net neutrality rules were upheld in court, giving the commission license to regulate the Internet as a public utility and ensure that all users are treated fairly. However, the question remains as to exactly how net neutrality should be implemented and how well the concept applies to not only the Internet of today, but tomorrow. Panelists will discuss the tensions between applying the idea of net neutrality to the pragmatics of the Internet’s operations and the very real social and policy consequences of such decisions. By combining and contrasting legal, activist, technical, journalistic, and academic perspectives, they will dig deep into the thoughts and aims behind net neutrality and derive a more nuanced and effective assessment of what is needed to create an Internet that works for everyone. The panelists have discussed, taught, and deliberated these issues in university, government, and social settings, and boast employment/affiliations with MIT, Harvard University’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society, ACM, IEEE, Columbia University’s School of Journalism, VICE Media, May First/People Link, and Public Knowledge.

Jeremy Pesner, Kate Forscey, Bob Frankston, Sam Gustin, Alfredo Lopez, Jesse Sowell