Techlash: Is It Real and How to Respond

Just a few years ago Silicon Valley could do no wrong and tech companies were highly celebrated for their amazing products and services that had been previously unimaginable. Now, for some, this utopian vision has turned sharply dystopian.

Rightly or wrongly, tech companies are being vilified and held responsible for a host of ills, including abuse of market power, privacy violations, political bias, hate speech, and even terrorism and murder.

Techlash is reflected in news, commentary and recent Congressional hearings. But while Americans’ view of tech companies may be less positive than before, the major tech platforms and their services remain an integral part of people’s lives, and there is no indication that is changing. In fact, survey data suggests regulating or breaking up the platforms is not a high priority for most Americans.

Confirmed panelists include:

• James C. Cooper, Associate Professor of Law and Director, Program on Economics & Privacy, Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University
• Bruce P. Mehlman, Founder, Mehlman, Castagnetti, Rosen & Thomas
• Randal C. Picker, James Parker Hall Distinguished Professor of Law, University of Chicago Law School
• Catherine Tucker, Sloan Distinguished Professor of Management, MIT Sloan School of Management
• Thomas M. Lenard (moderator), Senior Fellow and President Emeritus, Technology Policy Institute