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Jonathan Zittrain is the George Bemis Professor of International Law at Harvard Law School and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Professor of Computer Science at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Director of the Harvard Law School Library, and Co-Founder of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society.

His research interests include the ethics and governance of artificial intelligence; battles for control of digital property; the regulation of cryptography; new privacy frameworks for loyalty to users of online services; the roles of intermediaries within Internet architecture; and the useful and unobtrusive deployment of technology in education.

Zittrain established the Assembly Program, a three-track fellowship program that convenes cohorts of experts, professionals, and students to develop solutions to complex technology policy issues, including those in cybersecurity, AI, and online disinformation. He also championed the development of the Caselaw Access Project, which has expanded free public access to U.S. case law.

Zittrain is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Board of Directors of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. He has served on the Board of Advisors for Scientific American, as a Trustee of the Internet Society, and as a Forum Fellow of the World Economic Forum, which named him a Young Global Leader. He was the Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence at the Federal Communications Commission, where he chaired the Open Internet Advisory Committee. His book, The Future of the Internet ─ And How to Stop It, predicted the end of general purpose client computing and the corresponding rise of new gatekeepers. It is available from Yale University Press and Penguin UK, and under a Creative Commons license. That and other works may be found at <http://www.jz.org>.


Projects & Tools

Advising Governments

Through this project we assist - in the public-interest - people working in governments across the globe in dealing with pressing challenges related to innovative digital…

Algorithms and Justice

The use of algorithms in the judiciary has already raised significant questions about bias and fairness, and looking ahead the moral questions become even more challenging.

Artificial Intelligence and the Law

This initiative focuses on new challenges and opportunities for the law created by the rise of AI.

Co-Designing Generative Futures

As generative AI technologies have advanced, so too has their potential to transform how people worldwide create, think, work, learn, problem solve, and govern. Given these far…

Internet Robustness

The Internet Robustness project is developing, testing, and piloting software and protocols to safeguard the promise of the URL: that information placed online can remain there.

Lumen

Lumen collects and studies online content removal requests, providing transparency and supporting research and analysis of the Web's notice and takedown ecosystem, in terms of who…

StopBadware.org

StopBadware works with its network of partner organizations and individuals to fight back against viruses, spyware, and other badware.

Past

Assembly: Disinformation

The Assembly: Disinformation Program brings together participants from academia, industry, government, and civil society from across disciplines to explore and make progress on…

BKC Policy Practice: Digital Pandemic Response

The BKC Policy Practice on Digital Pandemic Response is an interdisciplinary program that works with public and private decision makers on difficult questions around the use of…

Digital Media Project (DMP)

The goal of the Digital Media Project is not to advance a simple agenda but instead to help educate stakeholders – government officials, the media, artists, businesspeople, and…

Past

Global Network Initiative

In partnership with the Center for Democracy and Technology and Business for Social Responsibility, in addition to leading human rights groups, academic institutions, socially…

Past

H2O

H2O is a Web-based platform for creating, editing, organizing, consuming, and sharing course materials.

Past

Herdict

Herdict collected and disseminated real-­time, crowdsourced information about Internet filtering, denial of service attacks, and other blockages.

Past

Input to ICANN Accountability and Transparency Review Process

The Berkman Center conducted an independent, exploratory study analyzing ICANN’s decision-making processes and communications with stakeholders.

Past

Internet and Democracy

The Internet and Democracy Project is an initiative that will examine how the Internet influences democratic norms and modes, including its impact on civil society, citizen media,…

Past

Internet Law Program (iLaw)

Taught by world-renowned experts in the field, the Berkman Klein Center’s Internet Law Program addresses the most pressing cyberlaw issues being debated by lawmakers in the U.S…

Internet Monitor

Internet Monitor's aim is to evaluate, describe, and summarize the means, mechanisms, and extent of Internet content controls and Internet activity around the world.

Past

Municipal Fiber Initiative

Fiber optic networks are essential infrastructure for businesses, schools, government offices, and homes. But should your town, city, or municipal electric utility directly build…

Openlaw

[Berkman Project 2001-2002] Openlaw is an experiment in crafting legal argument in an open forum.

OpenNet Initiative

A collaborative project between the Citizen Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto; the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University; and…

Privacy Initiatives

The Berkman Klein Center has long been home to a number of cross-disciplinary initiatives that investigate privacy and privacy-relevant questions in the digitally networked…

Artificial Intelligence Initiative

Tackling short- and long-term questions related to the social impact, governance, and ethical implications of artificial intelligence.


Publications

May 17, 2021

The Paper of Record Meets an Ephemeral Web

An Examination of Linkrot and Content Drift within the New York Times

A project to gain insight into the extent and characteristics of journalistic linkrot and content drift

Publication
Feb 9, 2018

Follow-up Letter to the Members of the Massachusetts Legislature Regarding the Adoption of Actuarial Risk Assessment Tools in the Criminal Justice System

The following open letter — signed by Harvard and MIT-based faculty, staff, and researchers — is directed to the Massachusetts Legislature to inform its consideration of risk…

Publication
Nov 9, 2017

An Open Letter to the Members of the Massachusetts Legislature Regarding the Adoption of Actuarial Risk Assessment Tools in the Criminal Justice System

This open letter — signed by Harvard and MIT-based faculty, staff, and researchers— is directed to the Massachusetts Legislature to inform its consideration of risk assessment…

Publication
Jun 29, 2017

The Shifting Landscape of Global Internet Censorship

An Uptake in Communications Encryption Is Tempered by Increasing Pressure on Major Platform Providers; Governments Expand Content Restriction Tactics

Documenting the practice of Internet censorship around the world through empirical testing of the availability of the world’s most-trafficked and influential websites.

Publication
Feb 1, 2016

Don't Panic: Making Progress on the "Going Dark" Debate

This report from the Berkman Center's Berklett Cybersecurity Project offers a new perspective on the "going dark" debate from the discussion, debate, and analyses of an…

Publication
Dec 16, 2014

Internet Monitor 2014: Reflections on the Digital World

The Internet Monitor project's second annual report—Internet Monitor 2014: Reflections on the Digital World—is a collection of roughly three dozen short contributions that…

May 29, 2012

Briefing Document: Public Networks for Public Safety

A Workshop on the Present and Future of Mesh Networks

The Berkman Center for Internet & Society is pleased to present this briefing document, which was developed as part of our March 30th workshop on "Public Networks for Public…

Nov 3, 2011

Access Contested: Security, Identity, and Resistance in Asian Cyberspace

"Access Contested: Security, Identity, and Resistance in Asian Cyberspace," edited by Ronald J. Deibert, John G. Palfrey, Rafal Rohozinski and Jonathan Zittrain.

Publication
Apr 29, 2010

Access Controlled: The Shaping of Power, Rights, and Rule in Cyberspace

"Access Controlled: The Shaping of Power, Rights, and Rule in Cyberspace," edited by Ronald J. Deibert, John G. Palfrey, Rafal Rohozinski and Jonathan Zittrain, with a foreword by…

Mar 30, 2008

The Future of the Internet and How to Stop It

Book Description, from Amazon: &nbsp; &nbsp; …

Publication
Mar 13, 2008

Access Denied: The Practice and Policy of Global Internet Filtering

Book Description, from Amazon: Many countries around the world block or…

Mar 30, 2007

Spam Works: Evidence from Stock Touts and Corresponding Market Activity

We assess the impact of spam that touts stocks upon the trading activity of those stocks and sketch how profitable such spamming might be for spammers and how harmful it is to…

Jul 1, 2006

Searches and Seizures in a Networked World

Professor Kerr has published a thorough and careful article on the application of the Fourth Amendment to searches of computers in private hands - a treatment that has previously…

May 31, 2006

A History of Online Gatekeeping

The bulk of this Article puts together the pieces of that history most relevant to an understanding of the law's historical forbearance, describing a trajectory of gatekeeping…

Apr 30, 2006

The Generative Internet

This Article explores ways - some of them bound to be unpopular among advocates of an open Internet represented by uncompromising end-to-end neutrality - in which the Internet can…

Jul 31, 2005

Jurisdiction

Internet Law Series

Description, from Amazon: This casebook explores Internet Law as a…

Jul 31, 2005

Technological Complements to Copyright

Internet Law Series

Description, from Amazon: This volume is devoted to exploring the…

Mar 1, 2005

Amicus Brief: MGM vs. Grokster (Supreme Court Case No. 04-480)

In Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc., 464 U.S. 417 (1984), this Court held that the manufacture and distribution of technology that is sometimes used to engage…

Nov 10, 2004

Internet Law (forthcoming, Foundation Press) Chapter 17: Cybercrime (preliminary version)

“Cybercrime” is an amorphous field. It refers broadly to any criminal activity that pertains to or is committed through the use of the Internet.

Aug 14, 2004

The Torts Game

Defending Mean Joe Greene

Book Description, from Amazon: Use this short secondary text with any…

May 23, 2004

Amicus Brief: Capitol et al v. Noor Alaujan

For the foregoing reasons, amici suggest that the Court to exercise caution in regard to any aggregate treatment of Defendants and to consider reduced awards in light of the…

Jan 8, 2004

Normative Principles for Evaluating Free and Proprietary Software

This article explains the ways in which free and proprietary software are at odds, and offers a framework by which to assess their value - a prerequisite to determining the extent…

Apr 30, 2003

Be Careful What You Ask For: Reconciling a Global Internet and Local Law

As the Internet becomes part of daily living rather than a place to visit, its rough edges are smoothed and its extremes tamed by sovereigns wanting to protect consumers, prevent…

Apr 1, 2003

Empirical Analysis of Internet Filtering in China

Data on the methods, scope, and depth of selective barriers to Internet access through Chinese networks.

Mar 1, 2003

Internet Points of Control

The online availability of pornography and unauthorized intellectual property has driven Internet growth while giving rise to efforts to make the Net more regulable. Early efforts…

Feb 24, 2000

What the Publisher Can Teach the Patient: Intellectual Property and Privacy in an Era of Trusted Privication

Individuals have long had the desire but little ability to control the dissemination of personal information about their health.... Technology has so far only made exploitation of…

May 20, 1999

Open Code / Open Content / Open Law: Building a Digital Commons

Strategic Planning Session Paper

The Berkman Center proposed the formation of a legally independent nonprofit entity - a consortium of educational centers to foster the development of open software, open research…

May 19, 1999

Evaluating the Costs and Benefits of Taxing Internet Commerce

Current tax law makes it difficult to enforce sales taxes on most Internet commerce and has generated considerable policy debate. In this paper we analyze the costs and benefits…

Jan 1, 1997

The Rise and Fall of Sysopdom

"Sysop" has gone from a term of art known only to the bleeding-edge few to a dusty anachronism known only to the bleeding-gums few, without the usual years-long general linguistic…


News

Jul 20, 2021

A note from Jonathan Zittrain

Exciting news and opportunities from the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society

The Berkman Klein Center shares exciting news and opportunities from our co-founder Jonathan Zittrain

News
Feb 25, 2021

Surveillance and the ‘New Normal’ of Covid-19: Public Health, Data, and Justice

BKC community members share insights as part of SSRC Public Health, Surveillance, & Human Rights Network.

SSRC report shares strategies for building a more responsible social infrastructure. 

News
Jan 28, 2021

Gaining power, losing control

In the wake of the Capitol riots and the deplatforming of Donald Trump, Harvard Law tech expert Jonathan Zittrain explores the clash of free speech and public health online

In the wake of the Capitol riots and the deplatforming of Donald Trump, Harvard Law tech expert Jonathan Zittrain explores the clash of free speech and public health online

News
Dec 4, 2020

Imagine a world in which AI is in your home, at work, everywhere

AI+Art project prompts us to envision how the technology will change our lives

Harvard Law Today
Nov 16, 2020

‘The Connected Parent’ offers guidance, insight into digital parenting

John Palfrey and Urs Gasser discuss their latest book

BKC Medium Collection
Aug 21, 2020

“No simple answer”

“Covid State of Play” examines sick buildings, planning lags, and reopening

Talk covers COVID-19 and the need for creative, and swift, solutions

Harvard Law Today
Jul 30, 2020

‘Feeding the virus’?

At a Berkman Klein Center event, experts rate U.S. response and outline steps necessary to defeat the virus

Talk assesses the U.S. response to COVID-19 and outlines steps necessary to defeat the virus.

Jul 30, 2020

The Breakdown: Jonathan Zittrain reflects on 2019–2020 Assembly program, disinformation

Special two-part episode delves into BKC's Assembly program, big challenges with disinformation

The New York Times
Jul 16, 2020

Testing Is on the Brink of Paralysis. That’s Very Bad News.

Jonathan Zittrain, Margaret Bourdeaux, and Beth Cameron call on governors to unite

“Our pandemic fight requires prompt testing results — and singular cooperation among the states to achieve them.”

Jul 8, 2020

Digital Contact Tracing: A Primer

How Data Can Support Contact Tracing, Explained by BKC's Jonathan Zittrain

Tech Solutions to Contact Tracing Explained by BKC’s Jonathan Zittrain

Jun 25, 2020

Digital Contact Tracing: Perspectives on approaches to COVID-19

Members of Digital Pandemic Response Working Group share their ideas

Essay series captures some of the current thinking about contact tracing and COVID-19

News
Jun 18, 2020

Technology and contact tracing

Panel offers open questions, calls for collaboration

Experts from tech and public health sectors share open questions for stakeholders engaging in tech and contact tracing

News
May 4, 2020

Challenges in Digital Technology

Reflections on pivotal moments and gradual shifts in the tech sector

Reflections on pivotal moments and gradual shifts in the tech sector

News
Apr 14, 2020

Clearview AI is using photos to ID you. Big tech can stop it from happening again.

If the platforms don’t take the vulnerabilities exposed by this scandal seriously, the next civil liberties disaster could be worse.

If the platforms don’t take the vulnerabilities exposed by this scandal seriously, the next civil liberties disaster could be worse.

News
Apr 10, 2020

Cyberlaw Clinic turns 20

Founded in 1999, the first-of-its-kind clinical program based at the Berkman Klein Center celebrates two decades of perpetual adaptation

Founded in 1999, the first-of-its-kind clinical program based at the Berkman Klein Center celebrates two decades of perpetual adaptation

News
Apr 10, 2019

The Law and the Digital World

The AGTech Forum at Harvard Law gives state attorneys general a place to learn about technological changes and strategize about how the law can keep up

Insight for Attorney Generals into privacy and emerging technologies

News
Mar 27, 2019

Inside The R&D Of AI Ethics

Designing a roadmap for AI governance

It’s clear that the roadmap for AI governance won’t rely solely on business or academic research. That's where Assembly comes in.

News
Feb 20, 2019

Zittrain and Zuckerberg discuss encryption, ‘information fiduciaries’ and targeted advertisements

CEO visits with students from the University’s Techtopia program and Zittrain’s Internet and Society course

Should Facebook be considered an “information fiduciary” when it comes to the privacy of its clients?

The New York Times
Jun 2, 2018

From Westworld to Best World for the Internet of Things

"While procrastination around security has been vital to the expansion of the internet, 'later' doesn’t mean 'never,'" explains Jonathan Zittrain in this NY Times opinion. "We can…

Medium
May 15, 2017

Some starting questions around pervasive autonomous systems

Jonathan Zittrain defines some of the cross-cutting questions arising from the mainstreaming of applied artificial intelligence

Aug 12, 2015

When Forgetting Isn’t Best

Professor Jonathan Zittrain on why the Right to be Forgotten is flawed and what can be done about it

For Professor Zittrain, the Right to be Forgotten is a “bad solution to a real problem.” 

Mar 5, 2015

Intelligence² Debate: Should the US Adopt "The Right to be Forgotten?"

featuring Berkman Co-founder Jonathan Zittrain

Berkman Co-founder Jonathan Zittrain and former Berkman fellow Andrew McLaughlin join public radio's Intelligence Squared US for a debate on the European Union's "Right to be…

Apr 18, 2014

Berkman Center announces leadership transition

The Berkman Center for Internet & Society has announced a significant leadership transition as Professor William (Terry) Fisher steps down after 12 years as Chair of the Board of…

Jun 6, 2013

Former FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and Berkman's Jonathan Zittrain Propose Testing an Emergency Ad Hoc Network in Boston

In today's MIT Technology Review, Former FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and Berkman Center Director Jonathan Zittrain make a pitch for private networks to aid public safety.

May 7, 2013

Today: Open Internet Advisory Committee Meeting (Webcast at 10:30AM EDT)

The Open Internet Advisory Committee will consider issues relating to the subject areas of its four working groups—Mobile Broadband, Economic Impacts of Open Internet Frameworks,…

Jan 15, 2013

Symposium at HLS marks launch of global network of interdisciplinary centers focused on the Internet and society

On Dec. 6-8, 2012, the Berkman Center for Internet & Society, together with seven international co-organizers, hosted a symposium at Harvard Law School titled Internet-Driven…

Nov 29, 2012

GO ASK A.L.I.C.E: Turing Tests, Parlor Games, & Chatterbots

Special panel discussion taking place tonight! 11/29 at 5:30pm ET at Harvard University

May 31, 2012

Berkman Director Jonathan Zittrain appointed Chair of the FCC's Open Internet Advisory Committee

Congratulations to Berkman Director Jonathan Zittrain, who has been named Chair of the FCC's Open Internet Advisory Committee (OIAC) this past week.

Dec 2, 2011

Better Data for a Better Internet

The Berkman Center enthusiastically shares an article from Faculty Co-Directors John Palfrey and Jonathan Zittrain on "Better Data for a Better Internet," published in this month…

Nov 14, 2011

John Palfrey's Next Chapter: Onward to the Phillips Academy!

The directors of the Berkman Center wish to extend our warmest congratulations to John Palfrey, our colleague and friend, upon his appointment as the Head of School of the…

May 31, 2011

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski Announces Jonathan Zittrain as FCC Distinguished Scholar

"Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski announced the appointment of Professor Jonathan Zittrain as the agency’s Distinguished Scholar. He will be based…

May 25, 2011

61st Annual Conference of the International Communication Association

Attending ICA 2011 this week and trying to figure out which sessions to take in? A number of Berkman Center people are also participating in ICA 2011...

Apr 7, 2011

Submit your ideas for a better Internet!

(deadline: April 15)

The new "Ideas for a Better Internet" initiative aims at fostering innovation around the most pressing issues currently facing the Internet. We invite anyone — interested…

Mar 17, 2011

Radio Berkman 175: Lessig and Zittrain Take On...the Kill Switch

This week on Radio Berkman: Professors Lessig and Zittrain discuss turning off the Internet, the "Cybersecurity and Internet Freedom Act of 2011," and more, with Andrew McLaughlin…

Dec 9, 2010

Radio Berkman 171: Wikileaks and the Information Wars

This week on Radio Berkman: Zittrain, Lessig, and the Berkman Center Fellows explore many facets surrounding the Wikileaks imbroglio, including the values of transparency and…

Dec 2, 2010

Radio Berkman 170: Lessig and Zittrain take on... Corruption!

This week on Radio Berkman: With the November elections behind us here in the US Jonathan Zittrain and Lawrence Lessig take on the issue of money in politics, and investigate how…

Oct 15, 2010

Radio Berkman 165: Zittrain & Lessig TAKE ON...Net Neutrality!

This week, Radio Berkman rolls out the second episode in a new, special series of conversations between Professor Lessig and Professor Zittrain, and the topic is especially thorny…

Sep 9, 2010

Radio Berkman 162: Lessig & Zittrain Take On...Competition

This week, Radio Berkman returns from summer vacation with a big new episode in which Professors Lessig and Zittrain think through the Microsoft antitrust case and its…

News
Sep 8, 2010

Omidyar Network announces grant to Herdict

Grant will be used to build Herdict into a standalone non-profit

The Berkman Center is pleased to share some exciting news: Omidyar Network has announced a planned grant of up to $1.5M to Herdict -- the Berkman Center's crowdsourcing platform…

Jul 1, 2010

Jonathan Zittrain Named Professor of Computer Science in the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Jonathan Zittrain, a leading scholar on the legal and policy issues surrounding the Internet, adds to his law school post a joint appointment to the faculty of the Harvard School…

News
Jun 16, 2009

Keeping an Eye on Iran's Post-Election Protests

Berkman Center people and projects have been paying close attention to the role of the Internet and cell phones in the post-election protests in Iran.

May 12, 2009

Unique Fall 2009 Cyberlaw Clinic & Winter 2010 Course Opportunity with Prof. Zittrain

Professor Zittrain is soliciting applications from students interested in a fall placement at the Cyberlaw Clinic at the Berkman Center in conjunction with his winter-term 2010 …

May 6, 2009

Reflections on ten years of Code

Jonathan Zittrain takes up the "arguments over cyberlibertarianism sparked by the release of [Lessig's] Code [and Other Laws of Cyberspace]" at Cato Unbound...

News
Feb 17, 2009

Radio Berkman: Restrictions, Connections, Visualizations

This week on Radio Berkman: Jonathan Zittrain and Judith Donath discuss, respectively, Herdict Web and the "Connections" exhibition at the MIT Museum...

Oct 2, 2008

Berkman fall events continue: two special events next week

Next Tuesday we're hosting a book party for "Blown to Bits: Your Life, Liberty, and Happiness after the Digital Explosion," with the book's three authors, and, on Thursday, a…

Aug 19, 2008

Shaping the future of privacy

IAAP's Navigate 2008

John Palfrey and Jonathan Zittrain are in New Hampshire this week for a "think-tank retreat" arranged around key privacy issues and questions...

Jun 20, 2008

Homeward!

Jonathan Zittrain appointed to tenured faculty position

Jonathan Zittrain has accepted an offer to become a tenured Professor of Law at Harvard Law School! He will continue to serve as a Berkman faculty co-director. Everyone at the…

Jun 18, 2008

Jonathan Zittrain on the Colbert Report!

Inciting applause for chaos, Professor Zittrain was a guest on the Colbert Report last night to discuss his book, "The Future of the Internet--And How to Stop It."

Apr 23, 2008

JZ in 4D: contending with the future of the Internet

Jonathan Zittrain's whirlwind spring of talks on "The Future of the Internet--And How to Stop It" brought him to Cambridge last Friday evening for discussion of the book and a…

Apr 14, 2008

Next Stop: Cambridge

The book is out...and in addition to spreading across the 'Net like wildfire, it is coming to Cambridge! Join us on Friday to hear Jonathan Zittrain talk about The Future of the…

Apr 7, 2008

The Future of the Internet--And How to Stop It

Berkman co-founder and faculty co-director Jonathan Zittrain's new book, The Future of the Internet--And How to Stop It, is in stock at Amazon, and Jonathan has been out speaking…

Apr 3, 2008

Communia and iCommons Call for Papers

The deadlines for papers the first ever Commmunia Conference and the iCommons Summit '08 is quickly approaching.

News
Mar 28, 2008

Lessig v. Valenti on the future of intellectual property online

Gather the family, make some popcorn, turn off the TV. As part of the Berkman Center’s ongoing tenth anniversary celebration, Berkman@10, we’re retrieving some classics from our…

News
Mar 20, 2008

Access (still) Denied

Yesterday, OpenNet Initiative Principal Investigators Ron Deibert, John Palfrey, and Jonathan Zittrain spoke about their book, Access Denied, on Public Radio International's The…


Community

Carr Center for Human Rights Policy

Making a Movement: The History and Future of Human Rights

BKC Faculty Director Jonathan Zittrain and BKC Affiliate Bruce Schneier contribute to the Carr Center's Making a Movement: The History and Future of Human Rights, a collection of…

Dec 11, 2023
The Crimson

Fifteen Questions: Jonathan Zittrain on Social Media, AI Litigation, and CompuServe

Faculty Director Jonathan Zittrain discusses AI regulation, moderating online communities, and the Applied Social Media Lab.

Nov 17, 2023
The Harvard Gazette

How facial-recognition app poses threat to privacy, civil liberties

BKC Director Jonathan Zittrain and BKC Alumnus Kashmir Hill discuss Hill's new book, "Your Face Belongs to Us: A Secretive Startup's Quest to End Privacy as We Know It."

Oct 26, 2023
Bloomberg

Ad-Free Versions of Facebook and Instagram Have One Audience in Mind: Regulators

BKC Director Jonathan Zittrain comments on the economics of zero-ad versions of social media sites. 

Oct 16, 2023
The Harvard Law Bulletin

How to think about AI

BKC Directors Rebecca Tushnet and Jonathan Zittrain comment on legal and ethical challenges that are associated with the development of AI.

Jun 27, 2023
IEEE Spectrum

This Harvard Law Professor is an Expert on Digital Technology

The career of Jonathan Zittrain is profiled by IEEE Spectrum.

Apr 21, 2023
The New York Times

The Future of Social Media Is a Lot Less Social

Jonathan Zittrain comments on BKC's Institute for Rebooting Social Media and its projects creating and experimenting with new social networks.

Apr 19, 2023
The Washington Post

A better kind of social media is possible — if we want it

Jonathan Zittrain is quoted discussing digital governance of social media platforms.

Mar 6, 2023
Harvard Law Today

Facebook and the Problem of Truth

Jonathan Zittrain sits down with Jill Lepore in a podcast…

Dec 15, 2022
Last Archive Podcast

Trial By Teenager, Part I

With Jill Lepore, Jonathan Zittrain talks about his idea of using high school students as vetters of online political ads.

With Jill Lepore, Jonathan Zittrain talks about his idea of using high…

Oct 27, 2022
Harvard Law Today

Is it time to swipe left on social media?

Jonathan Zittrain, evelyn douek, and John Palfrey share insights on the consequences of social media after a Facebook whistleblower dominated headlines last week. …

Oct 12, 2021
Tech Policy Greenhouse

The Inexorable Push For Infrastructure Moderation

Jonathan Zittrain writes that the fervor for content moderation will bleed from social media into the Internet's building blocks, posing new threats to civil liberties.

Sep 24, 2021
Slate

Social Media Companies Need to Take a Lesson from 16th-Century Bavaria

John Bowers, Will Marks, and Jonathan Zittrain propose a path forward for how to improve content moderation

Aug 24, 2021
Harvard Law School

Design for Democratic Discourse

Jonathan Zittrain and Deb Roy will teach a seminar on the design of digital media at Harvard Law School in Fall 2021.

Jul 19, 2021
The Atlantic

The Internet Is Rotting

Jonathan Zittrain shares the ways humanity’s knowledge can change or disappear without warning on the Internet

Jun 30, 2021

Towards more interoperable ‘smart’ home devices

Jonathan Zittrain testifies before a Senate subcommittee about the Internet of Things.

Jun 16, 2021
Harvard Law Bulletin

Oh, what a tangled web we weave

The Harvard Law Bulletin showcases work from members of the Berkman Klein community on mis- and disinformation and the Center’s projects and programs that produce it.

Jun 14, 2021
The Verge

New research shows how many important links on the web get lost to time

The Verge features study from John Bowers and Jonathan Zittrain

May 21, 2021
Columbia Journalism Review

What the ephemerality of the Web means for your hyperlinks

A study by John Bowers, Clare Stanton, and Jonathan Zittrain examined hyperlinks in New York Times articles from 1996 through mid-2019.

May 21, 2021
KQED

What are NFTs (and Why Should We Care)?

Jonathan Zittrain discusses the future of NFTs with KQED.

Apr 20, 2021
Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University

Platform Accountability Through Digital “Poison Cabinets”

Preserving records of what user content is taken down—and why—could make platforms more accountable and transparent

Apr 13, 2021
The Atlantic

NFTs Show the Value of Owning the Unownable

Jonathan Zittrain and Will Marks argue the complexity and arbitrariness of non-fungible tokens are a big part of their appeal

Apr 7, 2021
The New York Times

Trump Isn’t the Only One on Trial. The Conservative Media Is, Too.

Jonathan Zittrain speaks to the New York Times

Feb 8, 2021
MIT Technology Review

How a Democratic plan to reform Section 230 could backfire

Joan Donovan and Jonathan Zittrain weigh in on proposed Section 230 reforms

Feb 8, 2021
Lawfare

Jonathan Zittrain on the Great Deplatforming

Jonathan Zittrain joins the Lawfare Podcast

Jan 14, 2021
Just Security

Impeachment Defense, the Constitution, and Bill of Rights

Jonathan Zittrain pens an op-ed about impeachment and the First Amendment.

Jan 13, 2021
Harvard Gazette

AI revolution in medicine

Jonathan Zittrain compares AI to asbestos

Nov 11, 2020
Harvard Law Today

‘We need to be more imaginative about cybersecurity than we are right now’

BKC co-directors James Mickens and Jonathan Zittrain discussed today’s cybersecurity challenges at a recent event.

Oct 7, 2020
Harvard Law Today

The law is ‘tested and illuminated during this pandemic’

Martha Minow, Urs Gasser, and Jonathan Zittrain participate in colloquium on governmental powers during a pandemic

Sep 16, 2020
Gizmodo

Are We Already Living in a Tech Dystopia?

Gizmodo asks experts, including Jonathan Zittrain, for their answers

Aug 25, 2020
Scientific American

A Nixon Deepfake, a 'Moon Disaster' Speech and an Information Ecosystem at Risk

Jonathan Zittrain, Danielle Citron, and Joan Donovan provide expert commentary

Jul 20, 2020
The Atlantic

Twitter’s Least-Bad Option for Dealing With Donald Trump

Every plausible configuration of social media in 2020 is unpalatable, Jonathan Zittrain says.

Jun 26, 2020
Medium

The Speaker, the President, and the Case of (the) Ripped Up Speech

Jonathan Zittrain argues that while platforms might consider labeling videos like these as manipulated, they should not remove them entirely.

Feb 10, 2020
The New York Times

Pelosi Clashes With Facebook and Twitter Over Video Posted by Trump

The video isn’t legally actionable and shouldn’t be taken down, said Jonathan Zittrain, but Facebook and Twitter should probably label the video

Feb 8, 2020
The Atlantic

A World Without Privacy Will Revive the Masquerade

As the growing scale of facial recognition shows, more data can always be extracted.

Feb 7, 2020
HKS Misinformation Review

Answering impossible questions

Content governance in an age of disinformation

Jan 6, 2020
Harvard Law Today

Shedding light on fraudulent takedown notices

Berkman Klein Center’s Lumen database helps bring attention to falsified court orders

Dec 13, 2019
NiemanLab

What should newsrooms do about deepfakes? These three things, for starters

Researchers argue the dangers of deepfakes are overblown, but they will still require journalists to give thought to how they handle unconfirmed information.

Nov 20, 2019
The Wall Street Journal

How Google Interferes With Its Search Algorithms and Changes Your Results

The internet giant uses blacklists, algorithm tweaks and an army of contractors to shape what you see

Nov 15, 2019
The Atlantic

Let Juries Review Facebook Ads

Social-media giants can’t decide how far is too far, but a panel of regular people can.

Nov 14, 2019
Columbia Journalism Review

Facebook, free speech, and political ads

Jonathan Zittrain and evelyn douek weigh in on the power of platforms like Facebook

Oct 31, 2019
Duke Law & Technology Review

The Past and Future of the Internet

BKC community members contribute to Symposium for John Perry Barlow

Aug 12, 2019
Medium

The future of the decentralized web

The inventor of the World Wide Web has a new vision to rescue it.

Jul 31, 2019
Medium

Intellectual Debt: With Great Power Comes Great Ignorance

What Technical Debt Can Teach Us About the Dangers of AI Working Too Well

Jul 24, 2019
The New Yorker

The Hidden Costs of Automated Thinking

Jonathan Zittrain argues that overreliance on artificial intelligence may put us in intellectual debt

Jul 23, 2019

Technical Flaws of Pretrial Risk Assessments Raise Grave Concerns

Twenty-seven prominent researchers from MIT, Harvard, Princeton, NYU, UC Berkeley and Columbia have signed an open statement of concern regarding the use of actuarial risk…

Jul 17, 2019
The Harvard Gazette

Palo Alto event showcases Harvard tech startup scene

Jonathan Zittrain delivers an energetic presentation on the ethical responsibilities of tech companies toward consumers in the era of artificial intelligence.

Jul 11, 2019
AAMC News

Will artificial intelligence replace doctors?

Exploring AI’s role in the medical field

Jul 9, 2019

A History of IP in 50 Objects: Internet

Perhaps the best physical representation of the genius of the Internet—and in particular, “Internet Protocol”—is found in an hourglass.

Jun 25, 2019
STAT News

What if AI in health care is the next asbestos?

Artificial intelligence is often hailed as a great catalyst of medical innovation, a way to find cures to diseases that have confounded doctors and make health care more efficient…

Jun 19, 2019
PC Mag

Russia Used Social Media to Influence EU Citizens' Votes

A report from the European Commission said that Russian accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube aimed to influence voter preference by challenging the Union's democratic…

Jun 17, 2019
Wired

15 Months of Fresh Hell Inside Facebook

Scandals. Backstabbing. Resignations. Record profits. Time Bombs. In early 2018, Mark Zuckerberg set out to fix Facebook. Here's how that turned out.

Apr 16, 2019
Harvard Law Today

Medical AI systems could be vulnerable to adversarial attacks

With HMS and MIT faculty, Zittrain and Bowers co-author report in Science Journal

medical machine-learning systems may be uniquely susceptible to attacks

Mar 25, 2019
Spectrum

Bracing Medical AI Systems for Attacks

There’s new advice on how to handle tampering that fools algorithms and enables healthcare fraud

Laying groundwork for resilience against real-world adversarial attacks

Mar 22, 2019
News

Adversarial attacks on medical AI: A health policy challenge

Emerging vulnerabilities demand new conversations

Technical solutions alone aren't enough to address vulnerabilities in machine learning systems

Mar 21, 2019
BBC News

Tim Berners-Lee: 'Stop web's downward plunge to dysfunctional future'

Global action is required to tackle the web's "downward plunge to a dysfunctional future", its inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee has told the BBC.

Mar 10, 2019
Harvard Law Today

Why I Changed My Mind

Four faculty members reconsider long-held professional views

Jonathan Zittrain and Kendra Albert share moments when they had to re-examine some of their most closely held ideas about issues ranging from gun laws to brownies.

Mar 8, 2019
Recode

Can Big Tech be fixed?

The US might get a federal privacy bill this year

Feb 13, 2019
Just Security

Election Security

Questions for the House Homeland Security Hearing

Should Congress and federal agencies be sharing and receiving more with platforms like Facebook to aid them in enforcing better moderation policies?

Feb 12, 2019
Nieman Lab

Transparency, diversity, philanthropy

The Knight Commission’s final recommendations for 21st-century journalism

Democracy and the news media are inextricably intertwined, and it is clear that both are in crisis.

Feb 6, 2019
C-SPAN

Remedies for Platform Bias

During confirmation hearings AG nominee William Barr is asked how private social media platform's could explicitly attempt to sway an election, and whether there are any remedies…

Jan 16, 2019
Harvard Magazine

Ethics and the dawn of decision-making machines

Even a thoughtfully designed algorithm must make decisions based on inputs from a flawed, imperfect, unpredictable, idiosyncratic real world

Dec 17, 2018
TechCrunch

Senators aim to give internet companies doctor-like duties to protect our data

A new bill would prevent tech companies from knowingly doing harm to their users.

Dec 13, 2018
Medium

Build first and ask questions later?

Three hidden vulnerabilities of artificial intelligence

Three dangerous properties of AI that could be setting us up for another painful process of self-correction

Dec 10, 2018
NextGov

Upcoming Bill Would Lock Down Agencies' Internet-Connected Devices

A new bill "leverages federal purchasing power to create pro-security market pressure and … serves as a model for the implementation of similar standards elsewhere."

Dec 6, 2018
News

Facebook leader sits down with Harvard’s Jonathan Zittrain

Professor Jonathan Zittrain discusses the social media giant’s ‘long year’ with Facebook's head of global policy management Monika Bickert.

Dec 5, 2018
El Pais

The Leaders of the Big Technology Think Themselves Smarter than Others

Jonathan Zittrain says the chances that the Internet will be a engine for positivity are lower than they were ten years ago

Nov 12, 2018
The Guardian

A new campaign to save the web from abuse

A ‘Magna Carta for the web’ will protect people’s rights online from threats such as fake news, prejudice and hate, says founder of the world wide web

Nov 5, 2018
CBC Spark

Restaurants have strict standards to protect customers. Tech platforms don't

Online tech platforms should become “information fiduciaries”

Oct 26, 2018
Harvard Business Review

Platforms Should Become Information Fiduciaries

Internet companies need "information fiduciaries" to ensure that the consumer's best interest is kept at heart.

Sep 19, 2018
YouTube

What Does A Tech Positive Future Look Like?

EFF Executive Director Cindy Cohn and Harvard's Jonathan Zittrain discuss what a tech-positive future looks like—and how we can get there.

Jul 27, 2018
Medium

The Supreme Court and Zombie Laws

What happens if the Supreme Court strikes down a law, only to have a later court reverse it?

Jul 2, 2018
Video

Openness and Oversight of Artificial Intelligence

Jonathan Zittrain, faculty director of the Berkman Klein Center and Professor at Harvard Law School

Jonathan Zittrain discusses the role regulators and oversight groups might play as AI becomes more and more woven into the fabric of society

Jan 11, 2017

Courses

Case Studies in Public and Private Policy Challenges of Artificial Intelligence - Spring 2024

The use of machine learning has skyrocketed in recent years, becoming embedded retail and wholesale across society without substantial reflection on its implications. Through…

Governing Digital Technologies - Fall 2023

There has been a vigorous, decades-long debate around the governance of digital technology – one conducted variously in the public sphere, in academia, and among regulators and…

Governing Digital Technology - Spring 2023

Prerequisite:&nbsp;This is a JD 1L only offering. Exam Type:&nbsp;One-Day Take-home This course offers a rigorous…

The Ethics and Governance of Artificial Intelligence - Fall 2022

This reading group will examine key readings and projects surrounding the ethics and governance of the opaque complex adaptive systems that are increasingly in public and…

Governing Digital Technology - Spring 2021

This course offers a rigorous introduction to the field of cyberlaw. We will investigate the evolving nature of online architecture and activities, and the ways in…

Governing Digital Technology - Spring 2020

Professor Jonathan Zittrain This course will investigate the evolving…

Course

Applied Ethical and Governance Challenges in AI - Spring 2019

This course will pursue a cross-disciplinary investigation of the development and deployment of the opaque complex adaptive systems that are increasingly in public and private use.

Internet & Society: The Technologies and Politics of Control - Spring 2019

This course offers a rigorous introduction to the field of cyberlaw.

Torts - Spring 2016

This course explores the American law of torts -- the circumstances and theories under which people owe others money for wrongs they commit -- principally as a vehicle for…

Rhetoric and Public Discourse – Spring 2015

Some of our questions: What roles do and should intermediaries play in setting our topical agendas and shaping conversations around them? What impact does and can money have in…

Internet & Society: The Technologies and Politics of Control – Winter 2015

This course offers an intensive introduction to the field of cyberlaw. We will investigate the evolving nature of online architecture and activities, and the ways in which the…

Digital Platforms - Spring 2014

The Internet operates in layers, and so does much of the technology that hooks up to it: PCs, mobile phones, tablets. Nearly two decades ago those platforms were conceptually…

Contemporary Issues in Foreign Intelligence Gathering - Spring 2014

We will discuss how an intelligence community's activities can be meaningfully communicated to the public while respecting its sources and methods; how agencies might internally…

Torts - Spring 2013

This course explores the American law of torts

Digital Power, Digital Interpretation, Digital Making - Fall 2012

This is a working seminar designed to explore these questions through a cluster of projects designed to cross theorizing with making.

Cyberlaw and Intellectual Property: Advanced Problem Solving Workshop - Spring 2012

Students in this course will work in teams to solve a series of hard problems related to cyberlaw and intellectual property, leveraging the problem-solving methodology of teaching…

Ideas for a Better Internet - Fall 2011/Winter 2012

This joint Harvard/Stanford interdisciplinary seminar will continue a year-long arc of developing and building ideas for a better internet.

Torts - Fall 2011

This course explores the American law of torts -- the circumstances and theories under which people owe others money for wrongs they commit -- principally as a vehicle for…

Cyberlaw: Difficult Problems - Winter 2011

This course will explore difficult problems in cyberlaw, presented by guests who must grapple with them. Guests will include academics, technologists, businesspeople, regulators,…

Cyberlaw: Difficult Problems Seminar - Fall 2010

This seminar will be a vehicle to explore and evaluate current cutting edge issues in Internet law and policy, with the aim of honing three or four problems for further study in a…

Difficult Problems in Cyberlaw - Winter 2010

This course, Difficult Problems in Cyberlaw, covers the Global Network Initiative, ubiquitous human computing, the future of Wikipedia, and cybersecurity.

The Internet: Issues at the Frontiers: Seminar - Spring 2009

This seminar explores frontiers question involving the Internet. Anticipated issues involve innovation, copyright, new uses of the wiki form, prediction markets, democratic…

Cyberlaw: Difficult Problems - Winter 2009

This course will explore difficult problems in cyberlaw, presented by guests who must grapple with them. Guests will include academics, technologists, businesspeople, regulators,…

Cyberlaw: Internet Points of Control - Winter 2008

This course examines current legal, political, and technical struggles for control/ownership of the global Internet and its content.

Cyberlaw: Internet Points of Control - Winter 2007

This course examines current legal, political, and technical struggles for control/ownership of the global Internet and its content. Course themes include the interaction between…

Internet Law 2003: Program of Instruction for Lawyers

The Internet is maturing. With it, the laws and the norms that surround the use of Internet technologies have less of an edgy feel than they did just a few years ago. Yet much of…

Internet & Society: The Technologies and Politics of Control - Winter 2003

This course examines current legal, political, and technical struggles for control/ownership of the global Internet and its content. The course will draw upon a growing body of…

Torts - Fall 2002

OFFICE HOURS: Professor Zittrain's office hours are Wednesdays from 2pm to 4pm in Griswold 505. You can sign up for a time on the door or just drop by.

Torts - Fall 2002

Torts - Fall 2002

Internet & Society: The Technologies and Politics of Control - Spring 2002

This course examines current legal, political, and technical struggles for control/ownership of the global Internet and its content. The course will draw upon a growing body of…

Torts - Fall 2001

Professor Zittrain's Torts Website FALL 2001 EDITION READINGS UPDATE: Professor Zittrain has added three new readings to clarify the issues of wrongful…

Counsel to the Internet Client: Practical Advice, Strategy and Litigation - Fall 2001

This semester, we will explore the nuts and bolts of advising and defending Internet-related businesses, organizations and individuals. With the help of practicing cyberlawyers…

Torts - Fall 2001

Torts - Fall 2001

Torts - Spring 2001

Torts - Spring 2001

Internet & Society: The Technologies and Politics of Control - Fall 2000

This course examines current legal, political, and technical struggles for control/ownership of the global Internet and its content. The course will draw upon a growing body of…

The Exploding Internet: Building A Global Commons in Cyberspace - Summer 2000

The Exploding Internet: Building A Global Commons in Cyberspace - Summer 2000

Internet & Society: The Technologies and Politics of Control - Fall 1999

This course examines current legal, political, and technical struggles for control/ownership of the global Internet and its content. The course will draw upon a growing body of…

The Law of Cyberspace - Spring 1999

This course will explore a series of leading Internet issues via a number of traditional and not-so-traditional methods. The course themes will include: whether the internet will…

The Law of Cyberspace: Social Protocols - Fall 1998

The class will consider the interaction between policy and technology, or more specifically, between law and various architectures of cyberspace. We will cover topics including…

Internet & Society: The Technologies and Politics of Control - Fall 1998

This course will explore a series of leading Internet issues via a number of traditional and not-so-traditional methods. Course themes will include: whether the Internet will…

Course

The Microsoft Case - Fall 1998

Professors Lessig and Zittrain will teach a research seminar on the Microsoft case. The seminar will meet at least once a week, beginning the week of 9/21. It will review the…

The High Tech Entrepreneur - Winter 1998

The High Tech Entrepreneur - Winter 1998

Internet & Society: The Technologies and Politics of Control - Fall 1997

Internet & Society: The Technologies and Politics of Control - Fall 1997

Torts - Fall 1997

Torts - Fall 1997

The Law of Cyberspace - Winter 1997

This seminar will explore issues related to the regulation of cyberspace. It is not a course in computer law, or copyright, or intellectual property. It is instead an effort to…

The Law of Cyberspace - Winter 1997

This seminar will explore issues related to the regulation of cyberspace.

Torts - Fall 1996

Torts - Fall 1996


Events

Oct 25, 2023 @ 12:30 PM

Your Face Belongs to Us: A Conversation with Kashmir Hill

On October 25th, Kashmir Hill joined us at the Berkman Klein Center for a deep dive on her new book Your Face Belongs to Us: A Secretive Startup’s Quest to End Privacy As We Know…

Oct 17, 2023 @ 12:00 PM

Artificial Intelligence and the Law

Lightning Talks with Experts

Join us for a series of lightning talks to kick off of the Initiative on Artificial Intelligence and the Law...

Feb 21, 2023 @ 9:30 AM

Gonzalez v. Google Live Analysis

Moderated by Kate Klonick, a panel of internet law experts will react to oral arguments in Gonzalez v. Google...

Jan 12, 2023 @ 12:30 PM

Web3 Is Going Just Where?

January 12: a fireside chat with Molly White and Jonathan Zittrain

Sep 19, 2022 @ 5:00 PM

The Future of Online Lending: A Discussion of Controlled Digital Lending and Hachette with the Internet Archive

Join us for a discussion with Brewster Kahle, founder and digital librarian of the Internet Archive, about the pending Hachette v. Internet Archive case and the future of digital libraries

Brewster Kahle, founder and digital librarian of the Internet Archive, spoke about the pending Hachette v. Internet Archive case and the future of digital libraries. Kahle was…

Event
Oct 19, 2021 @ 1:00 PM

Private Social Media Data in the Public Interest: What’s Next?

VIDEO: This October 19 panel explored dilemmas, debates, and paths forward for public interest research access to social media data.

Sep 21, 2021 @ 12:00 PM

Berkman Klein Center Fall 2021 Virtual Open House

VIDEO: BKC Fall 2021 Virtual Open House

Event
Sep 17, 2021 @ 12:00 PM

Responding to AI Enabled Surveillance and Digital Authoritarianism

Three Part Virtual Symposium - Security, Privacy, and Innovation: Reshaping Law for the AI Era

VIDEO: Security, Privacy, AI

Event
May 17, 2021 @ 4:00 PM

Assembly Project Fellowship Showcase

An inside look at the work of the 2021 Assembly Fellows on Disinformation, Privacy, and Ethical AI

An inside look at the work of the 2021 Assembly Fellows on Disinformation, Privacy, and Ethical AI

Feb 17, 2021 @ 2:00 PM

Covid State of Play: Vaccines and Variants

Domestic and Global Problems

Join Dr. Margaret Bourdeaux, Professor Jonathan Zittrain and Dr. Vanessa Kerry as they discuss vaccine roll-out and the impact of new COVID strains from both a domestic and global…

Jan 13, 2021 @ 2:00 PM

Covid State of Play: 2021 Outlook and Vaccine Disinformation

Video & Podcast: Featuring Jonathan Zittrain, Margaret Bourdeaux, and Renée DiResta

Video & Podcast: Reflecting on 2020, the year ahead, and vaccine disinformation that has been proliferating online

Dec 16, 2020 @ 2:30 PM

Covid State of Play: Building a Public Sector Health Intelligence Capability

Video & Podcast: Investigating how public health officials can collect and utilize large amounts of data responsibly

Video & Podcast: Investigating how public health officials can collect and utilize vast sums of data responsibly

Dec 2, 2020 @ 2:00 PM

Covid State of Play: Covid, Racism, and Environmental Justice

Video & Podcast: How environmental injustice and racism have contributed to the disproportionate impact of the pandemic

Video & Podcast: How environmental injustice and racism have contributed to the disproportionate impact of the pandemic

Nov 10, 2020 @ 4:00 PM

The Connected Parent: An Expert Guide to Parenting in a Digital World

Video & Podcast: A Harvard Law School Library Faculty Book Talk with Urs Gasser and John Palfrey

Video & Podcast A Harvard Law School Library Faculty Book Talk with Urs Gasser and John Palfrey

Oct 6, 2020 @ 2:00 PM

Covid State of Play: Authoritarian Politics & COVID-19

Video & Podcast: How Should U.S. public health officials lead in this political moment?

Video & Podcast: How Should U.S. public health officials lead in this political moment?

Oct 5, 2020 @ 12:00 PM

Cybersecurity: How Far Up the Creek Are We?

VIDEO & PODCAST: A Conversation between James Mickens and Jonathan Zittrain

Join BKC Board Members James Mickens and Jonathan Zittrain for a conversation that explores cybersecurity beyond its traditional boundaries of protecting data or code from bad…

Jun 17, 2020 @ 11:00 AM

Contact Tracing and Technology: A Deep Dive

BKC co-hosts conversation on digital data and public health

BKC co-hosts conversation on digital data and public health

Apr 29, 2020 @ 1:00 PM

[Virtual] Challenges in Digital Technology Then and Now

A Conversation With Jonathan Zittrain and Brad Smith

Jonathan Zittrain and Microsoft President Brad Smith will discuss how big tech might rise to new challenges and opportunities.

Mar 25, 2020 @ 1:30 PM

[Canceled] Cyberlaw Clinic @ 20

Symposium on Lawyering, Tech, and the Public Interest

This event has been canceled but may be rescheduled.

Nov 5, 2019 @ 12:00 PM

Regulating Social Media

HLS Journal of Legislation’s 2019 Symposium

A three-day symposium at Harvard Law School

Event
Sep 10, 2019 @ 12:00 PM

Can Tech be Governed?

BKC Luncheon Series: Public Kickoff featuring Jonathan Zittrain

VIDEO & PODCAST: How different is this technology from what preceded it, and do we need new ways to govern it? If so, how would they come about?

Apr 9, 2019 @ 12:00 PM

Constitutionalizing Speech Platforms

Featuring Kate Klonick and Thomas Kadri with members of the BKC community

PODCAST & VIDEO: We're never going to get a global set of norms for online speech but do the platforms pick our global values and constitutionalize them? Something to tie them to…

Dec 3, 2018 @ 3:30 PM

The State of Online Speech and Governance

Featuring Monika Bickert & Jonathan Zittrain in conversation

VIDEO & PODCAST: The State of Online Speech and Governance: Featuring Monika Bickert & Jonathan Zittrain in conversation

Sep 18, 2018 @ 12:00 PM

Platforms, Politics, and Power

Understanding and Shaping the Internet in 2018

VIDEO & PODCAST: Jonathan Zittrain on platforms and society

Event
Apr 16, 2018 @ 4:00 PM

Force of Nature

Celebrating 20 Years of the Laws of Cyberspace

Join us as we celebrate 20 years of the Laws of Cyberspace and the ways in which it laid the groundwork for our Center's field of study.

Feb 2, 2018 @ 3:00 PM

Past, Present, and Future of the Digital Public Library of America

featuring John Bracken, newly appointed executive director of the DPLA, and colleagues

Please join DPLA's new executive director John Bracken and colleagues to reflect on the DPLA’s past, present and future and explore the way in which libraries can contribute to a…

Oct 27, 2017 @ 11:00 AM

National Security, Privacy, and the Rule of Law

Through a concrete hypothetical--ripped from tomorrow's headlines, if not today's--we explore the difficult decisions to be made around these issues, including actors from…

Event
Oct 10, 2017 @ 12:00 PM

HUBweek 2017: Programming the Future of AI

Ethics, Governance, and Justice

How do we prepare court systems, judges, lawyers, and defendants to interact with autonomous systems? What are the potential societal costs to human autonomy, dignity, and due…

Event
Sep 19, 2017 @ 12:00 PM

The Line Between Hate and Debate

featuring Monika Bickert, Facebook’s Head of Global Policy Management in conversation with Professor Jonathan Zittrain

As society figures out what is acceptable and what is harmful, can technology play a role in improving online debate?

Event
Sep 12, 2017 @ 12:00 PM

Technology for the Social Good

featuring Jonathan Zittrain

If you’re interested in connecting with the Berkman Klein Center's research, community, and events, or are just generally interested in digital technologies and their impact on…

Event
Jun 28, 2017 @ 12:00 PM

Jonny Sun and Jonathan Zittrain in conversation

Author of the Book “everyone’s a aliebn when ur a aliebn too” by jomny sun (the aliebn)

Join Jonny Sun, the author of the popular Twitter account @jonnysun, for a conversation in celebration of his new book “everyone’s a aliebn when ur a aliebn too” by jomny sun (the…

Event
Mar 23, 2017 @ 12:00 PM

Fake News, Concrete Responses

At the Nexus of Law, Technology, and Social Narratives

Join us for a special Harvard Law School-Berkman Klein Fake News Lunch Panel moderated by Martha Minow, Dean of Harvard Law School

Sep 27, 2016 @ 4:00 PM

Power and Participation in the Networked Public Sphere

with John Palfrey, Yochai Benkler, Intisar Rabb, Zeynep Tufekci, Catherine Bracy, and Jonathan Zittrain

A creative discussion about the impact of the networked public sphere on global events, power dynamics, and our society at large, and how that influence may be changing in years…

Sep 6, 2016 @ 5:00 PM

Why the Internet Matters

an interactive discussion with Prof. Jonathan Zittrain, Berkman Klein Center Faculty Chair

If you’re interested in connecting with the Berkman Klein Center's research, community, and events, or are just generally interested in digital technologies and their impact on…

Oct 13, 2015 @ 12:00 PM

"Kill all DRM in the world forever, within a decade" Cory Doctorow

Join science fiction author, activist, journalist and blogger, Cory Doctorow in discussion with Jonathan Zittrain

Cory Doctorow joins Jonathan Zittrain in discussion about the work he's doing with EFF to kill all DRM in the world forever, within a decade!

Apr 7, 2015 @ 12:00 PM

The Black Box Society

With author Frank Pasquale. Moderated by Jonathan Zittrain.

Does the increasing velocity, variety, and volume of data make regulators' jobs harder or easier? Some say we are entering a "golden age of surveillance," enabling perfect…

Mar 25, 2015 @ 6:00 PM

Data and Goliath: The Hidden Battles to Collect Your Data and Control Your World

With Berkman Fellow, Bruce Schneier. Moderated by Jonathan Zittrain with special guests, Yochai Benkler, Joe Nye, Sara Watson and Melissa Hathaway.

In Data and Goliath, security expert Bruce Schneier offers another path, one that values both security and privacy. He shows us exactly what we can do to reform our government…

Nov 4, 2014 @ 12:00 PM

Privacy, Surveillance, and Rebuilding Trust in Tech

A Conversation with Microsoft GC Brad Smith and Professor Jonathan Zittrain

This discussion will explore the role of law in protecting our rights in the physical world online, the complementary roles of law and technology in achieving this protection, and…

Oct 30, 2014 @ 3:30 PM

Authorship in the Digital World: How to Make It Thrive

An Authors Alliance event

In order for authors to navigate these turbulent waters, they need to be strategic in their partnerships and careful in contracting. Copyright is supposed to help even authors…

Oct 28, 2014 @ 12:00 PM

The Responsive City: Engaging Communities Through Data Smart Governance

With Susan Crawford and other special guests

Harvard Law School Visiting Professor and co-director of the Berkman Center Susan Crawford joins Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, Mayor of Somerville, MA, Jascha Franklin-Hodge, Chief…

Event
Oct 10, 2014 @ 2:00 PM

National Security and Cyberthreats

A Conversation with John Carlin, Assistant Attorney General for National Security

Join Assistant Attorney General for National Security HLS alumnus and Heyman Fellow John Carlin, together with moderator Jonathan Zittrain, for a conversation about significant…

Sep 9, 2014 @ 12:30 PM

Berkman Center 2014-2015 Orientation: Tuesday Luncheon

Learn more about the Berkman Center for Internet & Society and join our community

Learn more about the Berkman Center for Internet & Society -- and its network of researchers, activists, faculty, students, technologists, entrepreneurs, artists, policy makers,…

Sep 4, 2014 @ 8:45 PM

Berkman Center 2014-2015 Orientation: Internet Policy Symposium

w/ Harvard's Institute of Politics and The Internet Association at the Harvard Kennedy School

Join us for the Internet Policy Conference hosted by Harvard University's Institute of Politics, the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, and The Internet…

Jun 4, 2014 @ 2:30 PM

Jonathan Zittrain and L. Gordon Crovitz Debate the Future of Internet Governance

Join Professor Jonathan Zittrain and Wall Street Journal Columnist Gordon Crovitz in a Google Hangout debate on the impact of ICANN's independence on the Internet and its role in…

Apr 8, 2014 @ 12:00 PM

Intelligence Gathering and the Unowned Internet

The Berkman Center for Internet and Society is pleased to invite the community to continue the conversation on the future of the unowned Internet on April 8, 2014 with a panel…

Mar 5, 2014 @ 6:30 PM

US Launch of *impossible*

with special guests Lily Cole, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Rosemary Leith, Jonathan Zittrain, Judith Donath, and Urs Gasser

On March 5, the Berkman Center will celebrate the US launch of *impossible*. Joining us will be Lily Cole, founder of *impossible* and fashion model, actress, and social…

Feb 3, 2014 @ 5:00 PM

Defending an Unowned Internet

Opportunities for Technology, Policy, and Corporations

In the wake of the disclosures about government surveillance and the rise of corporate-run applications and protocols, is the idea of an "unowned" Internet still a credible one?…

Apr 4, 2013 @ 6:00 PM

IT, Security, and Power

Bruce Schneier & Jonathan Zittrain in conversation

Feudalism is an apt model for IT today. We pledge our allegiance to service providers, and we expect them to protect us in return. More and more, this security is completely…

Jan 17, 2013 @ 10:00 AM

Open Internet Advisory Committee Meeting

The next meeting of the Committee will take place on January 17, 2013, from 10:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. PST in Paul Brest Hall-East, Stanford University, Munger Graduate Residence,…

Nov 19, 2012 @ 6:00 PM

At the Corner of Hollywood and Web

A conversation + a screening of a new indie movie

Join us for a discussion about the intersection of Hollywood and the Web and the opportunities and challenges filmmakers, actors, producers, and audience members face in an era…

Jan 17, 2012 @ 6:00 PM

Ideas for a Better Internet Summit

at Stanford University

Stanford Law School, Harvard Law School, the Berkman Center for Internet & Society and TEDxSF are pleased to invite you to a special event and reception on the Stanford campus,…

Nov 21, 2011 @ 6:00 PM

Intellectual Property Strategy

John Palfrey, Berkman Center Faculty Co-Director and Vice Dean for Library and Information Resources at Harvard Law School + Special Guests

Entrepreneurs, corporate managers and nonprofit administrators should look at intellectual property as a key strategic asset. In his new book, “Intellectual Property Strategy” …

Event
Sep 22, 2011 @ 9:00 AM

Law School for Digital Journalists

A Pre-Conference of the Online News Association's 2011 Conference

The Online News Association, Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society, and the UNC Center for Media Law and Policy present Law School for Digital Journalists, part of the…

Sep 12, 2011 @ 5:00 PM

News and Entertainment in the Digital Age: A Vast Wasteland Revisited

In 1961, Newt Minow – then Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission – delivered a landmark speech to the National Association of Broadcasters on “Television and the…

Sep 6, 2011 @ 6:30 PM

[September 6] Berkman Center Fall 2011 Open House

Come to the Berkman Center for Internet & Society’s Open House to meet our faculty, fellows, and staff, and to learn about the many ways you can get involved in our dynamic,…

Jan 18, 2011 @ 6:00 PM

Four Ideas for a Better Internet

At Stanford Law School

Stanford Law School and Harvard Law School are pleased to invite you to a special reception and event on the Stanford campus, featuring four TED-style talks drawn from the…

Event
Sep 21, 2010 @ 12:00 PM

Hacking the Casebook

The H20 Development Team

Traditional law school casebooks are expensive, bulky and stagnant. With the support of the HLS Library, Berkman has been updating our suite of classroom tools, H2O. In this…

Sep 7, 2010 @ 6:00 PM

Berkman Center Fall 2010 Open House

Come to our Open House to meet Berkman faculty, fellows, and staff and to learn about the Center's current activities and ways you can get involved...

Feb 22, 2010 @ 5:30 PM

Minds for Sale

Jonathan Zittrain, Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and co-founder of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society

The Harvard Alumni Association and the Berkman Center invite you to join Jonathan Zittrain, Harvard Law School Professor and Co-Founder of the Berkman Center, for an evening of…

Feb 8, 2010 @ 6:00 PM

When Countries Collide Online: Internet Spies, Cyberwar, and Government-sponsored Skullduggery

Cliff Stoll and Jonathan Zittrain

With the Internet woven into the fabric of all governmental activities, it's not surprising to find many international espionage agencies shadowing targets online and performing…

Nov 18, 2009 @ 6:30 PM

Berkman West Celebration featuring Jonathan Zittrain on "Minds for Sale"

The Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University fondly invites you to attend our third annual celebration of our friends, affiliates and partners on the left coast…

Jun 16, 2009 @ 6:00 PM

Cluetrain at 10: So How's Utopia Working Out for Ya?

with Berkman Fellows Doc Searls and David Weinberger, and Berkman faculty co-director Jonathan Zittrain

On the tenth anniversary of The Cluetrain Manifesto, how's all that freedom, that cyberutopianism, that Internet exceptionalism working out for you? Harvard Law professor and co…

Apr 8, 2009 @ 2:00 PM

CouchSurfing: What one website reveals about the future of the net

Daniel Hoffer, Founder of CouchSurfing, interviewed by Jonathan Zittrain

Daniel Hoffer, Founder of CouchSurfing, will be interviewed by Jonathan Zittrain.

Feb 18, 2009 @ 5:00 PM

Secrecy: Film Screening and Roundtable

Peter Galison, Robb Moss, Jonathan Zittrain, Martha Minow, and Jack Goldsmith

The Berkman Center, Peter Galison, and Robb Moss present a screening of the film "Secrecy," a film about the vast, invisible world of government secrecy, followed by a roundtable…

Event
Feb 10, 2009 @ 12:30 PM

Herdict: The Verdict of the Herd

Jonathan Zittrain and the Herdict Team

Jonathan Zittrain and the Herdict Team will present Herdict Web, a tool that seeks to gain insight into what users around the world are experiencing in terms of web accessibility.

Event
Dec 12, 2008 @ 6:30 PM

The Commons: Celebrating accomplishments, discerning futures

Jamie Boyle, Lawrence Lessig, Joi Ito, Molly S. Van Houweling, and Jonathan Zittrain

Creative Commons and the Berkman Center for Internet & Society present "The Commons: Celebrating accomplishments, discerning futures" tonight.

Event
Oct 9, 2008 @ 7:00 PM

The Uncertain Internet: Core Net Values for the [TBD] Administration

Jonathan Zittrain (Professor, Harvard Law School), Susan Crawford (Professor, University of Michigan Law School), Rich Miner (Mobile Platforms, Google; co-Founder of Android) and Alec Ross (Tech Policy Advisor to Obama)

Now is a critical moment for defining and reinforcing the best features of our communications platforms. What do we value about the internet and what should be the focus of the…

Sep 9, 2008 @ 1:30 PM

The Future of the Internet in the Coming Year

Professor Jonathan Zittrain, Harvard Law School, Berkman Faculty Co-Director

Jonathan Zittrain led a discussion on the Future of the Internet in the Coming Year. This event was webcasted live at 12:30PM ET.

Apr 18, 2008 @ 7:00 PM

Berkman Book Release: The Future of the Internet - And How to Stop It (Cambridge, MA)

by Jonathan Zittrain

Jonathan Zittrain discussed his new book, The Future of the Internet - And How to Stop It...

Apr 11, 2008 @ 6:00 PM

New York City Berkman Book Release: The Future of the Internet--And How to Stop It

Jonathan Zittrain discussed his new book "The Future of the Internet--And How to Stop It" in New York City at the Tribeca Grand Hotel.

Mar 28, 2008 @ 6:00 PM

It’s 2013: Do You Know Where Your News Is?

Examining scenarios for the future

One of the few areas of agreement among observers of the news environment is that there is much more change to come. In this session we’ll discuss scenarios that illustrate…

Event
Mar 25, 2008 @ 7:30 PM

Digital Dilemmas: A Multi-stakeholder Response to Internet Censorship and Surveillance

NYU Law Information Law Institute Colloquium, co-sponsored by the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School

Participants discussed the role that corporations should play in response to government-mandated Internet censorship and surveillance.

Mar 14, 2008 @ 7:30 PM

Berkman Book Release: Access Denied: The Practice and Policy of Global Internet Filtering

by Ronald Deibert (Editor), John G. Palfrey (Editor), Rafal Rohozinski (Editor), Jonathan Zittrain (Editor)

The OpenNet Initiative’s new book, Access Denied: The Practice and Policy of Global Internet Filtering, is now on bookshelves.

Sep 18, 2007 @ 12:30 PM

The Future of Net - One Web Day / Berkman's 10th Anniversary

Wendy Seltzer, Judith Donath, Gene Koo, and Jonathan Zittrain

Berkman Fellows and Faculty Judith Donath, Gene Koo, Wendy Seltzer, and Jonathan Zittrain discuss The Future of the Internet, in celebration of OneWebDay.

Jul 16, 2007 @ 12:00 AM

The Summer Doctoral Programme (SDP)

The Summer Doctoral Programme (SDP) is a joint effort of the Berkman Center and the Oxford Internet Institute, which provides top doctoral students from around the world with the…

Apr 25, 2006 @ 12:30 PM

The Future of the Internet - And How to Stop It

Jonathan Zittrain (Special Videocast)

During a Jonathan Zittrain special videocast and lunch discussed his thoughts on how to study and affect the future of the internet using the distributed power of the network…

Dec 9, 2004 @ 12:00 AM

Internet & Society Conference 2004 (IS2k4): Votes, Bits, and Bytes

The Internet & Society 2004 conference, entitled "Votes, Bits, and Bytes," took place on December 9 - 11, 2004, on the Harvard campus.

Jul 16, 2003 @ 12:30 PM

Free Software

Professor Jonathan Zittrain, Berkman Faculty Director

Professor Jonathan Zittrain on Free Software

Feb 13, 2003 @ 12:30 PM

Transparency Research

Professor Jonathan Zittrain and Ben Edelman

Berkman Luncheon Series: 2/13/03 - Professor Jonathan Zittrain and Ben Edelman on Transparency Research

Nov 15, 2000 @ 4:10 AM

The Day the Music Died? Harvard's Policy on Napster and Its Siblings--Past, Present and Future

A Panel Discussion

A Panel Discussion on "The Day the Music Died? Harvard's Policy on Napster and Its Siblings--Past, Present and Future"