Sessions at SXSW Interactive 2011 about Free Speech

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Sunday 13th March 2011

• The Net Delusion

  by Evgeny Morozov

  Evgeny Morozov argues that authoritarian regimes are as strong as ever, and use the Internet to their advantage by restricting speech, spying on dissidents, and publishing propaganda. Mr. Morozov will discuss how the spread of new media around the world should not necessarily be seen as a force for democracy.

  LEVEL: Intermediate

  • Free Speech

  At 12:30pm to 1:30pm, Sunday 13th March

  In Hill Country AB, Hyatt Regency Austin

• Trust in Social Media: Is Censorship Succeeding

  by Bill James

  Who and what can we now trust in social media? The promise of a new trust and authenticity from the democratization of content was seductive. Is it still credible? The blogosphere seems crammed with trolls, affiliate marketing spammers, cobbled content for viral and book marking campaigns, bogus personas working as intelligence and information hackers and salesmen masquerading as customer servants. Even the evangelists have retreated into a mantra of mere disclosure. Has the new hope for trust and openness been hijacked by the same commercial amorality that dominated traditional media? Will everything new get old again? Both brands and media owners have turned to different methods of censorship. Does censorship offer a real solution to the death of trust in social media content and brand reputation?

  LEVEL: Advanced

  • Censorship
  • Free Speech
  • Social Media

  At 5:00pm to 6:00pm, Sunday 13th March

  In Big Bend, Hyatt Regency Austin

Monday 14th March 2011

• The Harassment Predicament: Minimizing Abuse, Maximizing Free Speech

  by delbius

  Online services tread a narrow line between enabling free speech and preventing abuse of members. Offline, harassment is often determined contextually; unfortunately, website owners and operators often lack the time, insight, and ability to determine the context surrounding a given behavior. Additionally, the speech itself may not be directly abusive; thus, identifying other vectors for abuse is becoming increasingly important. As a result, Del Harvey, the Director of Twitter's Trust and Safety department, has spent a significant amount of the past two years working to develop objective litmus tests for evaluating potentially abusive behavior in the absence of context. This presentation will draw upon the work done at Twitter as well as Del's previous background working with online safety advocates to provide practical and doable policies and suggestions for sites to utilize with a minimum of engineering investment and personnel needs.

  LEVEL: Intermediate

  • Free Speech
  • Moderation
  • Online Community
  • Safety
  • Twitter

  At 12:30pm to 1:30pm, Monday 14th March

  In Room 10AB, Austin Convention Center