Facebook After Cambridge Analytica: What Should We Do Now?

The recent scandal over how political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica was able to access personal information about tens of millions of Facebook users has turbo-charged the public conversation about online privacy generally and Facebook’s privacy practices specifically. It has also reinforced concerns about the behavioral targeting of ads, the spread of political disinformation online, and the outsized power of the major internet platforms.

Now that the public and policymakers are energized on these issues like never before, and Facebook is seeking to regain users’ trust by revamping its policies and privacy settings, everyone is asking:

“What should we do now?”

What should consumers do now to protect themselves? How should regulators like the FTC respond? What should Congress do? What changes should consumers and politicians be demanding of Facebook, and of the rest of the tech sector? What next steps will best protect our privacy and our democracy while also preserving internet openness and innovation?

Join New America’s Open Technology Institute for a conversation with FTC Commissioner Terrell McSweeny and a wide-ranging discussion with a panel of experts who will offer some initial answers to these critical questions, and begin to map out the best ways that we all might leverage this critical moment to create a healthier internet ecosystem.

Follow the conversation online using #FacebookafterCA and following @OTI. 

Opening Conversation With: 

Terrell McSweeny, @TMcSweenyFTC 
Commissioner, Federal Trade Commission 

Panelists: 

Michelle De Mooy, @MichelleDeMooy 
Director of Privacy and Data, Center for Democracy & Technology 

Caroline Holland, @cnonnaholland8 
Tech Policy Fellow, Mozilla Foundation 

Professor David Vladeck 
A.B. Chettle Chair in Civil Procedure, Georgetown Law

Harlan Yu, @harlanyu 
Executive Director, Upturn 

Moderator: 

Kevin Bankston, @kevinbankston 
Director, New America’s Open Technology Institute