ii
Big Tech and Democracy: The Critical Role of Congress
Co-Sponsoring Organizations
e Technology and Public Purpose (TAPP) Project at the Harvard
Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Aairs works
to ensure that emerging technologies are developed and managed in ways
that serve the overall public good. Led by Belfer Center Director, MIT
Innovation Fellow, and former Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, the TAPP
Project leverages a network of experts from Harvard University, MIT, and
Stanford, along with leaders in technology, government, and business. For
more information, visit: www.BelferCenter.org/TAPP
e Platform Accountability Project at the Harvard Kennedy School’s
Shorenstein Center for Media, Politics and Public Policy aims to address
issues at the intersection of internet policy and economic regulation
through academic research and expert analysis. e world’s leading
internet rms currently operate in a largely unregulated environment.
While the American disinclination to industry regulation is premised on a
longstanding and well-intentioned preference to let the industry innovate
and allow the open market to eciently serve consumers, some things
have gotten out of hand. A handful of large digital platforms dominate the
online world and make decisions on a range of issues that aect the public
sphere—including disinformation, hate speech, and extremist content.
New thinking is required to understand the business model that sits behind
the veneer of the internet and prompts these negative externalities—and
to develop new ideas for the regulatory policies that can address public
harms. For more information, visit: www.ShorensteinCenter.org
