PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: THE INTERNET AND FREE SPEECH: A PREVIEW OF THE INTERNET'S OWN BOY {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of evenings and special screenings presented at The Paley Center for Media in New York. This evening examines "The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz," the documentary film about the short but significant life of an Internet activist and hacker. Host Ron Simon (curator, The Paley Center for Media/New York) offers opening remarks and brings filmmaker Brian Knappenberger to the stage. Knappenberger introduces the film, which is screened in its entirety. (For synopsis and credits, see ACCNUM 114399.)
After the screening, Simon introduces moderator Tim Wu (professor, Columbia Law School), and Wu moderates the following panelists: Knappenberger; Christopher Soghoian (principal technologist, Speech, Privacy and Technology Project at the ACLU); and Jane Hamsher (publisher, FireDogLake.com).
The panelists touch on such topics as: Knappenberger's longtime interest in Swartz's story and in the conflict between civil liberties and technology; Washington policy-makers' fear of technology-expert "sorcerers"; their own ignorance of technology, as exemplified in the health care website debacle; comparisons to Vietnam-era whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg and other activists, many of whom are imprisoned on espionage charges; the Obama campaign's use of technical experts prior to the election; the current lack of any experts with programming backgrounds in advisory positions; the prosecutors' aggressive pursuit of Swartz's case as a "deterrent" to future activists; Soghoian's own experience being investigated by the FBI and sense that members of the hacker community are unfairly seen as "terrorists"; comparisons to hackers Kevin Mitnick, erroneously believed to have the ability to launch nuclear missiles over the telephone, and Albert Gonzalez, whose motivation was financial gain; how the Computer Fraud Act has been "twisted" by overzealous prosecutors; the fine print on "Terms of Use" pages that make it illegal even to lie on dating websites; details about the proposed "Aaron's Law" and why it is insufficient; and the need for the government to clarify the parameters of the CFA and the ways in which it can be enforced.
Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics, among others: proposed funding for technical educational programs for Congress members; explanation of the Communications Decency Act, which protects websites like Twitter from being liable for libelous comments made by users; the relative lack of media coverage on Swartz's case prior to his death, apart from interviews on Russian network RT; the importance of computer science education for all, as technology is not a "distant realm" but a part of everyday life; Knappenberger's advice for aspiring filmmakers and activists; his frustration with the government's lack of public comment on the Swartz case; and Knappenberger's interest in the "internal struggle" and ongoing debate at MIT regarding the school's lack of action in Swartz's defense.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: June 17, 2014 6:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 2:29:16
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 114394
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Ron Simon … Host
- Tim Wu … Moderator
- Brian Knappenberger … Panelist
- Christopher Soghoian … Panelist
- Jane Hamsher … Panelist
- Aaron Swartz
- Daniel Ellsberg
- Kevin Mitnick
- Albert Gonzalez