The Decentralized Future Council (not EFF) will host this event. EFF's Ross Schulman will be speaking.
Federated social networks, collectively known as the "fediverse," are emerging as a promising alternative to centralized social media platforms. These networks, such as Mastodon, Threads, and BlueSky, offer a decentralized approach to online interaction. However, the shift to a decentralized model introduces new policy challenges and questions about governance, moderation, remuneration, and inclusivity.
The discussion will cover critical topics such as data ownership, content moderation, and accessibility, emphasizing the need for effective policy frameworks to guide the future of federated networks. We'll discuss the business models that support moderation, as well as the complex dynamics of centralized versus decentralized control. The conversation will also explore the promises and limitations of federated social networks, along with legal and privacy concerns, competition, and the broader context of decentralized online governance.
Key Discussion Questions:
- In what ways do federated social networks like Mastodon, Threads, and BlueSky offer alternatives to traditional social media, and what improvements are still needed to fully realize this potential?
- How can policymakers and developers collaborate to create standards for interoperability and data portability across federated networks while preserving user privacy and control?
When:
Tuesday, June 11, 2024
11:oo am - 12:00 pm (Pacific Time)
Where:
Online
Cost:
Free
Event Requirements:
Online registration via eventbrite is required.
About the Speaker:
Ross Schulman is EFF's first Senior Fellow for Decentralization. He is a policy technologist that has dealt with a wide range of issues, from net neutrality to online surveillance, over the course of his career. His personal passion has always been decentralization, however. Prior to EFF he worked at New America's Open Technology Institute. He has also worked in the past at the Center for Democracy and Technology, the Computer and Communications Industry Association, and in Congress in various capacities.
About The Decentralized Future Council
The Decentralized Future Council is a new initiative committed to educating policymakers about the future of decentralized and interoperable protocols that will transform the Internet as we know it. Policymakers can make better decisions when they understand the innovation on the horizon. We believe that the Internet is evolving to a new architecture, one that holds tremendous promise for innovation and human empowerment. Our focus is the public interest aspects of the decentralized Web’s potential in policy areas. If done right, the decentralized Web can ameliorate current problems related to privacy and security, corporate concentration, content moderation, information integrity, advertising, digital identity, and more.
This event is organized not by EFF, but by The Decentralized Future Council.
