Techlash: Who makes the rules in the digital Gilded Age?

Tuesday, October 31, 2023, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. EDT
The Brookings Institution, Falk Auditorium, 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Washington, D.C.

How much longer will powerful technology companies operate with limited public oversight? Who is making the rules of the digital age? These are the questions central to Brookings Visiting Fellow Tom Wheeler’s new book, “Techlash: Who Makes the Rules in the Digital Gilded Age?” In “Techlash,” Wheeler compares the present digital age to the last great technology-driven era—the Gilded Age—drawing comparisons between the two that offer solutions to help us navigate the current digital era.

On October 31, join Governance Studies at Brookings for an event with Tom Wheeler to discuss “Techlash.” Wheeler will be joined in discussion by Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.), who introduced legislation for a new Digital Platform Commission to address the ongoing challenges created by digital platforms. The event will be moderated by New York Times technology reporter and co-author of “An Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook’s Battle for Dominance,” Cecilia Kang. 

Registration is required to attend an event in person and guests at Brookings are required to attest to their state of health before attending. Visitors may not enter the building if they are feeling ill for any reason, have any symptoms commonly associated with COVID-19, or have tested positive for COVID-19 at any time in the preceding 5 days or longer in accordance with current CDC guidance, or have been advised by their healthcare professional or otherwise to not enter any space where some persons may not be vaccinated.
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