Reference no: EM132486451

Point 1: Privacy online has been under intense scrutiny since the Spring of 2018 when Facebook came under fire as evidence that Cambridge Analytica misused data that FB made available to them as an advertiser on the network became public. The question of what Facebook knew and when has led to much questioning about the network's ethics, whether they can be trusted, not to mention if and how much this influenced the 2016 election and what the implications might be for 2020.

Point 2: Since then the EU enacted the GDPR and now talks of an "Internet Bill of Rights" are emerging in the US. California just passed the California Consumer Privacy Act. Mark Zuckerberg has come under fire as he testified before Congress on the proposed Libra currency.

Point 3: In addition to privacy issues, the question of the spread of misinformation and disinformation and whose responsibility it is to monitor that has come under scrutiny. We see that in real-time as we face the challenges of COVID-19.

Some questions that have been brought up include:

Question 1: Is it time for the regulation of the Internet?

Question 2: Is it possible or is it too late?

Question 3: How much is too much Internet regulation?

Question 4: Is it fair that companies make money on individual's data?

Question 5: Are companies like FB and Google tech companies or media companies and why?

Question 6: Have companies like FB and Google become too powerful?

Question 7: Do companies like FB and Google have a responsibility to monitor misinformation and disinformation?