Maryland Law Review – Spring 2019 Symposium

Truth Decay: Deep Fakes and the Implications for Privacy, National Security, and Democracy

It is an age-old truism that humans lie. But now they possess the analytic skills and resources to separate fact from fiction, reality from illusion. In recent years, emerging technologies have allowed for the widespread creation and diffusion of hyper-realistic digital falsification of images, video, and audio, also referred to as “deep fakes.” Deep fakes are the tip of a very destructive iceberg, and they will be increasingly difficult to debunk. Soon it will be impossible to know if what your eyes and ears are telling you is true.

This symposium is inspired in part by Professor Danielle Citron and Professor Robert Chesney’s article, Deep Fakes: A Looming Challenge for Privacy, Democracy, and National Security, forthcoming in California Law Review, which provides the first assessment of the causes and consequences of deep fake technology.

This symposium widens the aperture to explore the full array of implications that deep fakes have on our society. We will explore a number of questions: What happens as the boundary between truth and falsity dissipates into little more than a subjective illusion? What can law, media, companies, and society do to protect democratic principles, individual reputations, national security, free expression, and intellectual property? How can individuals and online users contribute to the protection of crucial democratic values?

This symposium will bring scholars and practitioners from around the nation to address the implications for privacy, free expression, national security, copyright, and many more issues.

Schedule:

10:00am – 10:15am: Welcome Reception

• Welcome remarks by Professor Danielle Citron & Meredith Storm, Executive Symposium/Articles Editor

10:15am – 11:00am: Keynote and Q&A

• Professor Danielle Citron, University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law
• Professor Robert Chesney, University of Texas School of Law: Article: “Deep Fakes: A Looming Challenge for Privacy, Democracy, and National Security”

11:15am – 12:30pm: Panel I – The Privacy Implications of Deep Fakes

• Moderated by: Professor Danielle Citron
• Professor Woodrow Hartzog, Northeastern University School of Law
• Professor Mary Anne Franks, University of Miami School of Law
• Professor Ari Waldman, New York Law School
• Professor Jessica Silbey, Northeastern University School of Law

12:45pm – 1:45pm: Lunch

2:00pm – 3:15pm: Panel II – The Role of Intellectual Property, Platforms, and Free Expression Concerns

• Moderated by: Professor David Gray
• Professor Stacey Dogan, Boston University School of Law
• Professor Olivier Sylvain, Fordham University School of Law
• Professor Kate Klonick, St. John’s University Law School
• Mr. Thomas Kadri, Yale Law School

3:30pm – 4:30pm: Panel III – National Security Implications

• Moderated by: Professor Robert Chesney
• Mr. Benjamin Wittes, The Brookings Institute
• Ms. Quinta Jurecic, Lawfare
• Professor Alan Rozenshtein, University of Minnesota Law School

4:45pm – 6:15pm: Closing Reception in the Atrium

• Closing remarks by Alexandra Botsaris, Editor in Chief

Financial consideration for this symposium has been graciously provided by Microsoft Corporation. The Maryland Law Review would like to thank Ms. Sue Glueck for her support and sponsorship of our Symposium.