David Kaye – Speech Police: The Global Struggle to Govern the Internet
About The Event
The internet was designed as a promising global platform for free-speech and information sharing, according to David Kaye. However, this vast space has become a breeding ground for fake news, violence and hatred, threatening disaster all over the world. Over the years, three American behemoths–Facebook, YouTube and Twitter–became the way most of the world experiences the internet, and consequently the conveyors of much of its disturbing material.
Kaye will tackle the complexities of any solution to the malpractices of decentralized web, telling the story of ‘speech police’ around the world faced with this seemingly impossible task. How do we decide what should be removed? Who should decide? Should the government set the rules for social media companies to abide by? Should the companies themselves moderate their own spaces?
Having been at the center of free-speech online discussions in recent years, Kaye is a leading voice on human rights in the digital age. He reminds us of the importance of maintaining the internet’s original commitment to free speech, free of company or government absolute control, while finding a balance to modulate its worst aspects.
About The Speaker
David Kaye is a professor, lawyer, and established researcher in the field of international law, having contributed to the global education on free speech and expression through numerous publications, lectures, and courses. Kaye was appointed in 2014 to serve as the United Nations’ special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression. Working with students in his International Justice Clinic, Kaye reported to the UN on key issues about global free expression. The issues Kaye focused on included the safety of journalists, restrictions placed on internet access and usage, the effects of electronic surveillance, hate speech and incitement to violence.
Kaye began his legal career with the U.S. State Department. He is also an active member of the American Society of International Law, for which he served as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and of the Executive Council of the American Society of International Law. Furthermore, many essays and opinion pieces he has published have appeared in publications such as The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, and Foreign Affairs.
Kaye is currently a law professor at the University of California, Irvine. He teaches international human rights law and international humanitarian law, while also directing a clinic of international justice. He earned undergraduate and law degrees from the University of California, Berkeley.
*Event cancellations require 24-hours advanced notice.