Socrates Program: 2021 Winter Seminars Socrates Digital Winter Seminars The Socrates Digital Winter Seminars will consist of three concurrent seminars. Each Socrates Digital Seminar consists of two, 2.5 hour sessions, one on Friday, February 12th, and one on Saturday February 13th, 2021 with a digital opening reception Friday evening. The seminar tuition is $250.00. Very limited scholarships are available by application. We have lined up three fantastic seminars with veteran moderators! Please see below for descriptions of seminar offerings: Disinformation, Hate and Social Media Platforms: The Future of Technology Regulation and Speech in America The recent elections, the COVID-19 pandemic, and social unrest fueled by the Black Lives Matter movement has tested speech on the internet and sparked a battle over the future of speech regulations online. At the center of debates over speech are social media platforms that have hosted and facilitated the spread of falsehoods, conspiracy theories and hates speech. In Washington, the incoming Biden administration, Congress and regulatory agencies are expected grapple with regulations for internet companies to hold them accountable for content they host. How do social media companies monitor speech on their platforms? Should they be liable for what content appears on their sites? Currently Section 230 of the Communication Decency Act, gives these websites protection from liability for content created and shared on their sites by users. These protections are being reconsidered by all branches of government and across parties. How we answer these questions of content management and the responsibility of these technology companies will have major implications for the future of the technology industry, politics, and how we interact and relate on the internet. How can we find a way forward that protects free speech while also ensuring a healthy society and democracy?