Reno at 20: The Internet and Contested Content, Then and Now

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Reno v. ACLU, which, along with Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, established the framework for internet free speech and liability that remains in place today in the U.S. This free conference, hosted by Berkeley Law in San Francisco, will examine the continuing viability of the Reno vision in face of multiplying concerns about sex trafficking online, terrorist content, election interference and other very hard issues.

“Reno at 20” will bring together key architects of the strategies that culminated in the Reno v. ACLU decision and those in industry, advocacy groups, and academia currently shaping internet policy.

Topics will include the Reno vision of the internet; strategy for internet policy – then and now; and challenges to free expression online today. The conference will examine the international dimensions of internet free expression, the impact of changing business models, and the raging debate over corporate responsibility.

The conference’s goals are to provide a richer view of the advocacy that produced the Reno v. ACLU win and to identify opportunities for research, community building, and action to address the unique challenges facing the internet today.

Supported by:

Berkeley Center for Law & Technology
Center for Democracy & Technology
High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Engine
With generous funding from Mozilla