As demonstrated by the leaks of Facebook’s content moderation manuals, online platforms govern the speech published via their services pursuant to sui generis set of norms that aligns perfectly neither with the US nor with European standards for what constitutes legitimate expression. Such expression norms underwent significant changes from the moment of the inception of social media as such. Thus, the question arises how different forces might shape the online public discourse. The decision on where to place the boundaries of public discourse is eventually a normative one, requiring a judgment about the priorities of a given community. The assumption here is that the strengthening the protections for privacy online in Europe might be a factor for shaping social media community norms on a global scale. It will be tested through the development of the historical perspective on content moderation in parallel with the policy changes within the EU.
We look forward to welcoming you on July 3-5, 2023 for our Annual Conference entitled "Islands and Ocean: Public Law in a Plural World." The conference will take place at the Victoria University of Wellington, in New Zealand. We will be announcing more details about the conference soon, including financial support to early career and global south scholars!