19-654 Regulation of Internet Edge Platforms
6 units, Carnegie Mellon University
Social media, search and ecommerce platforms are under attack all over the world antitrust lawsuits, complaints about fake news, partisan bias, and disinformation on social media, calls to remove liability protections for platforms that post userprovided content, to regulate content and online marketplaces. In this course we will examine competing economic and policy approaches to the treatment of these platforms. We will examine where these companies fit in the Internet ecosystem how these firms make money e.g. targeted advertising traditional principles of antitrust and their application to multisided platforms issues of Free Speech versus Disinformation on social networks, and how these firms differ from traditional media and a comparison of proposals for structural versus behavioral regulation. Readings will be drawn from technical, economic, legal and policy sources. Students will be encouraged to contrast competing approaches to these issues via inclass debates and written assignments.
Prerequisites: none listed
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