Few inventions have had a more sweeping and positive global impact than the Internet, a technology that has unquestionably transformed the possibilities of communication, education, and innovation among countless other benefits. 

However, despite nearly universal agreement that the Internet and continued Internet-related innovation serves a strong public interest, if and how the Internet should be regulated remains a highly controversial and important legal and policy debate. 

On November 17, 2017, the Federalist Society Telecommunications and Electronic Media Practice Group will host a panel of public and private sector thought leaders titled The Regulatory State of the Internet. The panel with discuss some of the most challenging Internet regulation questions facing Congress, courts, and agencies.

The conversation will begin with an interview featuring Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Brendan Carr and Federal Trade Commision (FTC) Acting Chairman Maureen Ohlhausen. The interview will be immediately followed by a discussion featuring the following panelists:

  • Dr. Roslyn Layton, Visiting Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
  • Mr. Jonathan B. Sallet, Partner, Steptoe & Johnson LLP
  • Mr. Jonathan Spalter, President & CEO, USTelecom
  • Dr. Nicol Turner-Lee, Fellow, Governance Studies, Center for Technology Innovation, The Brookings Institution
  • Moderator: Hon. Stephen F. Williams, United States Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit

Topics discussed will include if the FCC should continue with its Internet Freedom proceeding as well as potential legislative or regulatory solutions. An analysis of the current bifurcated Internet regulatory scheme where edge service providers (ESPs) are regulated by the FTC and the internet service providers (ISPs) are regulated by the FCC is also expected.

The panel will be held on Friday, November 17, 2017 from 12 – 2 PM in the Chinese Room of The Mayflower Hotel as part of the Federalist Society’s 2017 National Lawyers Convention. The topic of this year’s convention is: Administrative Agencies and the Regulatory State.

Registration is required to attend the panel. Click here for more information about the conference including the schedule, registration, and lodging information. Online registration ends Monday, November 13.