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Is this the internet we always wanted?

The internet has brought people together during the pandemic, so how do we keep building?

The internet has proven invaluable during the coronavirus pandemic, allowing us to continue to work and learn from home, disseminating information to concerned citizens and providing desperately needed social contact for those cut off from family and friends. Before the pandemic, it seemed the internet was increasingly becoming an angry and cold place, providing a platform for selfish pursuits and amplifying extreme views and behaviour. That still goes on, of course, but is the pivot to more altruistic activities online an opportunity to consider again the potential of the internet and what it's for? A string of data scandals over recent years has prompted calls for greater regulation of companies like Google, Facebook and Amazon. But three decades on from the creation of the World Wide Web, is now the time to discuss more sweeping reforms? Proposals are now emerging that could radically change the way the internet works, how your data is managed, who鈥檒l be able to make money, and even challenge the very concept that 鈥渢he internet should be free鈥. Ritula Shah is joined by a panel of expert guests to discuss whether the coronavirus-era internet that has brought people together and even thrown us a lifeline might be the internet we wanted all along. If so, how can we build on the moment and make it even better?

Available now

53 minutes

Last on

Sat 20 Jun 2020 03:06GMT

Contributors

Douglas Rushkoff - Professor of media studies at City University of New York聽

Glen Weyl聽- Political economist and social technologist for Microsoft's chief technical officer

Irene Ng - Director of Hat-Lab and CEO of Dataswift

David Baker - Former UK managing editor of the technology magazine 'Wired'

Also Featuring:聽

Dame Wendy Hall - Regius professor in computer science at the University of Southampton

Irene Ng - CEO Dataswift


Photo

Joy Malone's daughter speaks to her kindergarten classmates on a Zoom call for the first time since schools were closed due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in New Rochelle, New York - by Reuters / Joy Malone

Broadcasts

  • Fri 19 Jun 2020 09:06GMT
  • Fri 19 Jun 2020 23:06GMT
  • Sat 20 Jun 2020 03:06GMT

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