Workshop: Can regulation save the internet?

Closed Workshop on the future of internet regulation with experts from the private sector, civil society, and government.

Guests

Andreas Nick, CDU Member of the German Bundestag, Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Deputy Member of the Digital Agenda Committee 
Christoph Steck, Director of Public Policy and Internet, Telefónica
Jose Ignacio Torreblanca, Head of the Madrid Office and Senior Policy Fellow, European Council on Foreign Relations
Wolfram von Heynitz, Head of the Cyber Policy Coordination Staff, German Federal Foreign Office

Chaired by

Andrew Puddephatt OBE, Executive Chair of Global Partners Digital and Chair of the Internet Watch Foundation

As we know, the internet was born as a space of innovation, governed by a multi-stakeholder community, code of conducts and self-regulation, with little to no traditional regulation. However, this paradigm is being called into question as citizens and public authorities become increasingly preoccupied with the disruptive impact of the internet and digitalisation on social, economic and political life. Voices from across government, business, and society now argue that without adequate regulation the harmful impacts of the internet might outweigh its benefits.

Can European regulation save the internet? What should this regulation look like? What can we learn from the German experience? Where should we draw the line between regulation and self-regulation? Where does platform responsibility begin and end? How can we ensure regulation does not damage the internet´s essence and founding values, or make it less attractive, profitable, or useful?

In this closed-door invitation only workshop, experts from the private sector, civil society, and government, will be called upon to consider these questions and more.