During this COVID crisis, online services became essential to find health and medical information, get food and supplies, educate our children, connect with friends and families, and stay productive while working from home. This panel examines ways that America’s tech industry came through for Americans, and changes that enabled that to happen. We also consider new concerns about increased tech in our lives, and ask which recent tech trends will continue when this COVID crisis wanes. We’ll use audience polling to collect a broader range of views to deliberate and debate.

The next generation of wireless service, or 5G, is the focus of much attention and debate around the world. But while much of the focus may be on faster smartphones, 5G has gone from the subject of tech blog chatter to an essential aspect of foreign policy and international diplomacy. As the United States and China wrestle for global leadership in technology, how will national security and international standards influence the development of 5G networks? And how could virtualized and open networks impact the rollout of the Internet of Things—from connected cars to connected coffee makers—as billions of more consumer devices come online?

US law (Section 230) holds users accountable for the content they post online, rather than shifting that responsibility to internet platforms hosting that content. This law has enabled the user-created content that fuels the educational, professional, commercial, entertainment, and social networks online today. Yet this liability framework is now under fire. Some say social media platforms don’t moderate user content strictly enough, while others complain that moderation restricts their free expression online. This panel examines competing pressures on platform content moderation, and changes that could address concerns without increasing liability to the point where only the largest online platforms can afford risks of hosting user-created content and commerce.