Academic Writing

The surprise Mueller indictment tells us how we’ve been wrong about Russian trolls

Author(s): 
Henry Farrell
Publication Date: 
February 16, 2018
Publication Type: 
Other Writing

The Mueller investigation has just indicted 13 Russian nationals, and three Russian organizations, including the notorious St. Petersburg troll factory, the Internet Research Agency, for their roles in the 2016 U.S. election. This indictment has come as a complete surprise. It provides a wealth of new information about how Russian trolling operations work and what they tried to accomplish. This information contradicts many popular beliefs about Russian social media operations. Read more about The surprise Mueller indictment tells us how we’ve been wrong about Russian trolls

Introducing Just Security’s Symposium on United States v. Microsoft

Author(s): 
Kristen E. Eichensehr
Publication Date: 
February 15, 2018
Publication Type: 
Other Writing

Just Security is pleased to announce the launch of an online symposium on United States v. Microsoft, which will be argued at the U.S. Supreme Court on February 27. The question in the case is whether Section 2703 of the Stored Communications Act (SCA) allows a court to order a U.S. provider of email services to disclose electronic communications stored outside the United States. Read more about Introducing Just Security’s Symposium on United States v. Microsoft

The United States Can – And Should – Prosecute the Killers of US Journalists and Aid Workers in Syria

Author(s): 
Beth Van Schaack
Publication Date: 
February 14, 2018
Publication Type: 
Other Writing

Following the rout of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in and around Raqqa, hundreds of ISIL fighters are now in the custody of US-backed opposition groups such as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Free Syrian Army. Read more about The United States Can – And Should – Prosecute the Killers of US Journalists and Aid Workers in Syria

Our Hackable Political Future

Author(s): 
Henry Farrell
Publication Date: 
February 4, 2018
Publication Type: 
Other Writing

Imagine it is the spring of 2019. A bottom-feeding website, perhaps tied to Russia, “surfaces” video of a sex scene starring an 18-year-old Kirsten Gillibrand. It is soon debunked as a fake, the product of a user-friendly video application that employs generative adversarial network technology to convincingly swap out one face for another. Read more about Our Hackable Political Future

Trump is a typical conservative. That says a lot about the conservative tradition.

Author(s): 
Henry Farrell
Publication Date: 
February 1, 2018
Publication Type: 
Other Writing

Corey Robin is the author of “The Reactionary Mind: Conservatism from Edmund Burke to Donald Trump.” The New Yorker described the first edition of this book as “the book that predicted Trump.” The newly issued second edition looks to put President Trump in the context of the conservative movement and explain him. I interviewed Robin about the book. Read more about Trump is a typical conservative. That says a lot about the conservative tradition.

Comments to Article 29 Working Party on Transparency Under the GDPR

Author(s): 
Daphne Keller
Publication Date: 
January 23, 2018
Publication Type: 
Other Writing

These comments address the issue of transparency under the GDPR, as that topic arises in the context of Internet intermediaries and the “Right to Be Forgotten.” CIS Intermediary Liability Director Daphne Keller filed them in response to a public call for comments from the Article 29 Working Party – the EU-wide umbrella group of data protection regulators established under the 1995 Directive, soon to be succeeded by the European Data Protection Board established under the GDPR. Read more about Comments to Article 29 Working Party on Transparency Under the GDPR

Copyright, The First Wave of Internet Censorship

Author(s): 
Daniel Nazer
Publication Date: 
January 18, 2018
Publication Type: 
Other Writing

When someone wants to remove speech from the Internet, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act’s (DMCA) notice and takedown process can provide the quickest path. This has made copyright law a tempting tool for unscrupulous censors. As content companies push for even more control over what gets posted online, it’s important to remember that any tool used to police copyright will quickly be abused, then adapted, to censor speech more widely. Read more about Copyright, The First Wave of Internet Censorship

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