Will the US Congress Compel Transparency from Facebook?

Facebook is engaged in an energetic struggle to stop its role in spreading misinformation from being scrutinized. As Stephen Maher writes, the US Congress has the power to stop Facebook in its tracks, to force it to reveal what role it has played in spreading misinformation about the 2020 US election and the ongoing pandemic, but it is not yet clear whether they will actually manage to do it.

Work has been famously described as one of the “cornerstones of our humanness.” The fourth industrial revolution has brought dramatic change to the economies of the world, affecting workers and workplaces globally, presenting both opportunity and risk. This briefing gathers research and analysis from CIGI’s experts exploring the intersection of policy and technology in our work lives.

For the most part, journalism’s commercial era is over. Yet local media institutions provide an essential public service that a healthy democratic society requires, regardless of the news business’s profitability. Victor Pickard writes that democratic societies must acknowledge that profit-driven media systems cannot provide for all of our information needs — public options are paramount.

Dec. 7 – 9:30 a.m. EST (UTC–05:00): CIGI is pleased to host His Excellency Cong Peiwu, China’s Ambassador to Canada, for a conversation with CIGI President Rohinton P. Medhora about China’s role in the global economy. With the upcoming G20 Heads of State and Government Summit from October 30 to 31, this conversation will explore China’s role and influence in issues preoccupying governments worldwide, such as technology, trade, investment, climate change, and cyber and data governance. A Q&A period moderated by Rohinton P. Medhora will follow.

To join us online on September 30, please register here.

Oct. 14 – 1:30 p.m. EDT (UTC–04:00): As part of CIGI’s continued work on Reimagining a Canadian National Security Strategy for the Twenty-First Century, we are pleased to host Privacy Commissioner of Canada Daniel Therrien for a discussion on privacy protection in the context of today’s information revolution, the data-driven economy and known risks within the evolving threat landscape. A Q&A period moderated by CIGI Managing Director Aaron Shull will follow.

Learn more about this event and register to attend online here.