Social Media’s Free Speech Problem

The problem of misinformation on social media has ballooned over the last few years, especially in relation to elections. The result has been further polarization of our already divided country. There has been a boisterous debate about the de-platforming of former president Donald Trump, but how else are social media companies able to combat those deliberately spreading false information? How do we control this false speech while protecting the First Amendment — and our democracy?

Join us for a live discussion with one of the country’s leading experts on election law, Richard L. Hasen, author of the upcoming book Cheap Speech: How Disinformation Poisons Our Politics — and How to Cure It, and Genevieve Lakier of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University for a look into how social media companies can solve this problem without shutting down the essential free flow of ideas and opinions.

Speakers:

• Richard L. Hasen, Chancellor’s Professor of Law and Political Science, UC Irvine School of Law; Author, Cheap Speech: How Disinformation Poisons Our Politics — and How to Cure It
• Moderator: Genevieve Lakier, Professor of Law at the University of Chicago Law School ; Senior Visiting Research Scholar, Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University

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