Technology and Innovation

Recent Commentary

AEI’s online speech project aims to move the debate about online content moderation and Section 230 beyond the familiar talking points, as well as broaden the conversation to a multistakeholder audience that includes policymakers, businesses, academics, privacy advocates, civil society, and the public.

This project will take an in-depth look at why Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act was created and how communications platforms can meet the ever-evolving demands around content moderation. Discussions and research will focus on what types of laws and regulatory reforms to current content moderation practices can plausibly protect online speech. Possible avenues for consideration will include content creation and service offerings, and how to promote a thriving internet ecosystem that benefits individual consumers. In pursuit of this aim, AEI will produce a series of articles, podcasts, reports, and events that draw on expertise from a diverse array of professional, political, and legal experts.

This page serves as a central location for both commentary and policy research on this topic, and seeks to create a shared language for leaders in both the public and private sectors as they productively engage in the development and proposal of thoughtful policy recommendations.

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The story of technological revolution in modern America is dominated by the internet. With the click of a button, a person can instantly access troves of information that once filled entire libraries and disseminate their thoughts and experiences to millions of people. This democratization of knowledge and influence comes with incredible opportunities but also immense challenges. How should policymakers think about the digital platforms that have become embedded in our social and civic life?

To answer this question, the American Enterprise Institute invited leading scholars working at the intersection of technology, law, politics, and culture to meet and discuss some of the most pressing policy debates in this field: whether social media companies should be governed by antidiscrimination rules, whether it’s possible to reduce the knowledge gap between regulators and internet innovators, what best practices should guide improving broadband access for underserved communities, and much more. Their discussions gave rise to reports exploring these complicated questions. By offering multiple perspectives on key topics, the Digital Platforms and American Life project aims to clarify the points of debate and possibilities for agreement and reform as we continue to navigate our increasingly digitized world.

This report series is edited by AEI Senior Fellow Adam J. White, an expert on administrative law and telecommunications regulation. The project is generously supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.  

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