Author: Samuel Israel

  • To Protect Privacy Rights on the Internet, Common Law Needs a Reboot

    To Protect Privacy Rights on the Internet, Common Law Needs a Reboot

    Since 1986, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, which prohibits unauthorized access to a computer, has been the primary legal proscription against hacking and computer fraud. However, several recent cases surrounding social media and publicly accessible information underscore new concerns around private companies and their violations of the data privacy…

  • Hate the Player and the Game? How Hate Speech Spreads in Online Gaming Communities

    Hate the Player and the Game? How Hate Speech Spreads in Online Gaming Communities

    Since its inception, social media has been a vital tool for democracy, serving as an indispensable platform for people to exercise their rights to speech, expression, and assembly. However, with the recent insurgence of hate crimes like the 2017 Charlottesville attack, policymakers and stakeholders seek to prevent the exploitation of…

  • Pandemic Misinformation Spreads Fast. Can Machine Learning Help?

    Pandemic Misinformation Spreads Fast. Can Machine Learning Help?

    As information on the COVID-19 pandemic spreads at a rate rivaling that of the virus itself, separating trustworthy information from sensational and false news is paramount. While the pandemic illuminates the dangers of misleading health stories, researchers have been investigating methods to detect misinformation long before the outbreak. They hope…

  • Election Interference: A Conversation on the Steps to a More Secure Democracy

    Election Interference: A Conversation on the Steps to a More Secure Democracy

    Maurice Turner serves as the Deputy Director of the Internet Architecture Project at the Center for Democracy & Technology, a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring an open, innovative, and free internet. Prior to his current role, Turner served on the Republican staff of the Senate Committee on…

  • Does Internet Censorship Stifle or Spark Protest?

    Does Internet Censorship Stifle or Spark Protest?

    The invention and expansion of the internet has revolutionized how citizens engage in political expression and protest. Citizens subject to authoritarian regimes have taken advantage of the instantaneous nature of internet communication to mobilize political demonstrations, as seen in the Arab Spring, the Taiwan Sunflower Movement, and the ongoing Hong…