All in Technology

Twenty-Five Years Overdue: Reform Act 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act

CULSR Editors
Technology, Policy, Constitutional

By: Alex Herazy ‘25

I. Introduction and Overview of the 1996 Communications Decency Act

At the time of writing, yet another Facebook scandal just erupted—this time, the “Facebook Papers.” In recent months, explosive allegations from ex-Facebook employees turned whistleblowers, like Frances Haugen, have internally rocked the company. Haugen recently appeared on Capitol Hill to testify about her alleged charges of Facebook’s wrongdoing and deception. In addition to these allegations, Facebook is also battling an antitrust lawsuit filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). For background, Facebook Inc. is the parent company of several major subsidiaries, most notably messaging app WhatsApp, social media platform Instagram, and virtual gaming company Oculus VR.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Who Should Adjudicate Polymetallic Nodule Mining Disputes?

CULSR Editors
Administrative, Technology

By: Maral Asik ‘24

I. Introduction

Earth’s resources are rapidly depleting, and as a result humans are forced to look in increasingly remote places to access the resources necessary to maintain current consumption levels. As countries use more of their resources, they begin to look into the gold-mine of untapped resources located in international territory. When environmental damage occurs within a country, the intragovernmental judicial process typically decides what the consequences are. It is less certain, however, who holds states and corporations responsible for environmental harms caused in international territory, meaning the trans-boundary waters where no country has jurisdiction. This question is crucial for understanding the controversial issue of mining polymetallic nodules: a precious resource found primarily in international waters.

A Distorted Perception of the Criminal Justice System: The Effects of Crime Television and Media

CULSR Editors
Criminal, Technology, Policy

By: Kaitlyn de Armas ‘25

I. Introduction

As technology becomes a more integral part of quotidian life, it is almost inevitable that it coalesces within society. More than a basic physical dependence, the media and fictionalized television dramas are changing the way people perceive the world around them, altering the processes of thinking, political preferences, and cognitive ability. 1 With the increasing popularity of fictional realism, the portrayal of events and worlds that resemble real life,2 it is becoming increasingly challenging for avid viewers to distinguish reality from its scripted, TV counterpart.3 Furthermore, this blur of a false reality is only progressing through the increasing popularity of crime dramas. Feeding into the primary human attraction and fascination with fictional realism, crime themed TV shows have developed into a massive market, outnumbering every other drama subgenre and holding records among the most watched series on TV. 4 With the false and eccentric portrayal of the criminal justice system extending its reach across wider audiences, its effects are becoming more notable, as the public’s modified standard for the criminal justice system is now set by an impractical level.