To talk about this topic. Explored in a new book by 104 speakers today. James steyer. Hes the ceo of Common Sense Media. Advocacy organization for families and schools. This program is being held in association with Common Sense Media. Jim is the editor of the new book, which side of history, how technology is reshaping technology in our lives. It offers a collection of essays and how technology is affecting democracy and the society and our future. This available for books are sold. His jointed today but one of the contributors to the book, frank. Hes a writer of the atlantic and author of two books himself. Contributions will focus on the new era. We will discuss that and much more here today. Before we come to the conversation, one final note before we start. You have a question for either jim or frank, please post in the youtube chat box or the facebook Comment Section target and they will be to me during this program. So lets go ahead and get started. First of all, congrats to both a new book. Lets go ahead and get started with the big picture. What is start on a larger level limo started zooming as we get a little deeper. So when we talk about, really spend an hour on this topic alone. Danielle we talk about the Biggest Issue related to these massive Tech Companies. In this moment, im curious to know what concerns you most about the growing power of big temTech Companies. Jim go ahead and started that one. James steyer thank you daniela and welcome everybody. Two things come to mind immediately. First of all the most important election of our lifetimes. And im over 40 now so i can tell you this is really important election in my opinion. Technology is playing a huge role in the selection. In any cases, there are people who are using it to undermine some of our democratic norms. So just in the context of the 2020 election, technology and the role the handful of really Large Tech Companies absolutely paramount. In the second thing is as you know, the ceo of the common sense, Advocacy Group in the United States have well over 100 million users the focus mostly on the impact of technology and the children. An on their kids education. So what we are seeing at this point is in a covid19 era were doing shows like this on the zoom screen, our kids are going to school on zoom screen. Their lives are being shaped by technology and by screen information for unit and for any hours a day. So whether it is our democracy or the kids are the future of our economy, this really is a question of the x essential society. And honestly, which side of history are the Tech Companies on. Frank i just want to say congratulations to jim. This book is the most comprehensive examination of tax they play in our lives and our personal lives and our democratic lives and economic lives. And truly starstudded cast of contributors. It is a really terrific and important volume. When i think about tech. I think about the the view, talking one of these things that just is essential human drive that humans produce tools to mae our lives better. So we created tools wherever we go and whatever era. And this becomes an extension of ourselves. The hammer is the extension of the arm, the factory is an extension of upper body strength. In the tools that we create now our intellectual tools that are extensions of our brain. In the problem is to me is that the companies that operate these tools the control the intellectual processes operate in an invisible way we are not really fully aware of all of the forces that they exert on us. So they have tremendous power to manipulate human beings. As making our lives easier is how they sell it. So they alleviate the burden of choice. So when it comes to picking a restaurant or charting a route to get from point a to point b. We really appreciate that. When it comes to things like structuring democratic conversations or structuring a marketplace, the invisible becomes danger in tight democratic. So what i think about the big Tech Companies and their role in our lives. I worry about other shaping, not just everyday life not just government and policy and marketplaces but how they are visibly and profoundly affecting the course of the species because we are merging with these machines. We talk about the date when something is planted in your brain and were already wearing them in our wrists. And something the bridge of your nose. But the the days when we merge with machines. The more profound sort of way is just around the corner. Unless we set up the rice sorts of rules and frameworks. Not just giving ourselves over the machines. But ever to be companies that run and control those machines. Danielle is a great way to explain that frank. And there will be questions along the way that talks directly at this and specifically about your chapter which kind of discusses this in a more profound way. I want to quickly touch on something given the moment we are in. I know since the 2016 president ial election, we have learned a lot about the World Technology and roll it is played in our democracy. Weve learned a lot since then. A lot has come out. Were still learning i think. And what we have seen is a little bit of two things. We have seen further division of our country. Thats happening within politics on its own but obviously we are sing this sort of amplified through technology. And were also saying these companies desperately try to curtail some of this. How well they are doing. I dont know but i am curious on both of your opinions. Do you think it is getting any better. If youre still looking at 2016 versus where we are now. Have we gotten any better. James steyer i would say is no part in 16, square the probably the biggest adversary that we have, russia manipulated our election on behalf of one of the candidates. Thats an absolute disgrace. Imagine if we had set in 2015, when we were in high school or college, that the Biggest International adversary would manipulate her election. With the access to one of the two major candidates for president , is mind boggling. The more importantly, what are the Major Companies in america facebook. But thats exactly what happened. By the way, that continues to happen to the state. In the second thing that happens again im going to put her point to figure significantly and facebook and instagram. Theyve also spread division. When youve looked at the formation of White Supremacy groups and militia groups. In the justice mornings in a plot to assassinate the government, the governor of michigan by some white supremacist, militia crazies in michigan. That was on facebook. As with the group formed departed something in some ways, was worse in 2016 because we didnt know about it. But in 2020, we know about it. And some of the companies are doing nothing about it. Other giving lip service to it. By the way they are profiting massively at the same time from people who are trying to use those platforms for misinformation disinformation as you mentioned daniel, division. It is a really interesting moment. And the companies themselves, bear enormous responsibility as do the politicians who in some cases have actually encouraged them to miss dropped. But through a democratic norm standpoint, this is unprecedented. It is a clarion call to all of us no matter what her political perspective to be involved. Frank what you think. Frank i think it a micro level, there are certain things and you will now. When it comes to russian interference. I think that if facebook or twitter the Tech Companies, they see some sign of it, going to jump on the problem because they do not want to be tagged the same sort of way they were in 2017. But i think a lot of what they do to kinda point to the even bigger problem, to take this position on the day, the one hand, and kind of grateful that facebook is taking action here. And that they are doing something to try to camp down on the conspiracies the said are spread through their machines. And on other hand, if you gotta say, theres so much power invested in these companies, so there is then, unprecedented source of ways. And who decides with decides what is a conspiracy and what is not a conspiracy. A couple people who are not democratically elected departed they have extreme profit interests. But i think the biggest problem, the concentration of power in the other big problem is its broken the world of the way in which were not going to be able to quickly repair it. That is theyve destroyed authoritative institutions. The guardians of truth. So media and the institutions are so distracted in the world. Theres a reason that conspiracy flourishes friends not just that it is coming from facebook but that facebook wrote the institution that we are actually the primary byways of truth to the public. Danielle actually i totally agree. It and you talk about it, i will i think it is a mixture of politics and tech. Sort of destroying the trust in institutions. So great point. And actually very important segway to when i was going to ask next which is all of this has already happened. People have already are sorted down the rabbit hole, the genie is out of the bottle. The groups are forming and they will continue to form. Like facebook has already openly admitted in sort of like an arms race like to stay ahead of this. Which i dont know if you can stay ahead of it. Im curious, when we do now. I these technologies they exist. They will continue to exist in some form. I think we can be as idealistic as we want to be but i cant and we cant just say okay everybody throughout your laptop. When we do now. Through a very simple. It and think youre starting to see this happen. And if i do say that run the most Important OrganizationAdvocacy Group in the United States is not globally is actually done several of the things. First and foremost, completely deregulate in the environment for the past 15 years and has been a joke. So the Political Leadership to glean washington dc advocated the response ability. Allowed this as frank and i and you describe happened in a vacuum. With a complete and utter pathetic behavior of washington dc. Both sides of the aisle. They failed to regulate anything. Even though a Public Square was literally being turned upside down. Any of our democratic and economic norms. So number one, you can do what we did in california. Landmark privacy act, the first privacy one in 20 years in 2018 is not the law of the land. So thats an example that we have to have government relation. Any on the electoral results, youre going to have a chance, level and for everybody because we passed the journal there and along gdp in your, you never privacy regimen that all Companies Really have follow. But you need to prep federal privacy law. A big falsity platform account ability loss which we need to talk about. The idea that the Tech Companies are not treated like the publisher. Danielle you were for a publisher. Its and why by the way. Common sense media is a publisher which is hundreds of millions of users. I am responsible for what is on my platform and so his fortune digital. So you will have to see number one, a clear set of regulatory structures. Because the companies themselves are incapable of self regulation. In second going have to hold Companies Accountable for their errors go through regulatory structures but also public training, we done a campaign of the past couple of months, called stop paid for profit. Monthlong advertising boycott by any of the largest advertisers in the world. You are going to have to put pressure at the court levels because theres been such an accumulation of power in a small handful of hands. But the public is just going have to step up and play the roles. I think were starting to see that. Youve really seen that in this election much more than in 2016 or in 2018. The public have to become more aware of the impacts of tech on our societies. Call for thoughtful regulation. Up at the roles of government, and Corporate Responsibility than a role every Single Person in the audience to hold the situation accountable and get us to the place who want to be. And those of the three things i say need to happen. Frank. Frank i think its situate ourselves the pandemic where everything, all of the problems of society have become exaggerated. In some ways, easier to see. Cc the way in which a lot of formally public responsibilities and then become vested in private actors. In the government has failed and so any ways over the course of this pandemic that the ended on, google becomes an institution in which the public actually has greater faith in a lot of ways than their own government. And i think that needs to be reversed. I think 30s to be a reinvigoration of government and restoration of state and public institutions. I think there needs to be, theres a report that came out just the other day is one of the most significant documents produced by government in a very long time. And congress in a very long time. If not been published, lesson 2090s out, president ial election. It would been all over the front pages. So the you provide us a blueprint for what the next administration could do with big tech which is theres going to be some form of breakup of a least some of these companies parted and something that we dont need to fear, something that we should welcome. And i think it will actually produce greater innovations. I think it will be healthy for the democracy. But i also just want to have five, there is, i think we actually need to have the paradigm change the way that we individually act. So that what needs to happen is we have been passive consumers in the school big scheme. And i think you promoted Common Sense Media. And that i would say, is a time for us to behave more actively as citizens and also to reserve greater control over technologys role in our own lives. We need to be countercultural about this. You see it happening. Its one of the things that unfortunately will i will thrust upon us. We are so utterly dependent on technology rated and presume and web acts in all of these technologies that allow this to continue but on the other hand, we also see how tiring it is to live a life on greens and our screens. And as much as it is wonderful to have these tools, we cannot allow it to become salt whole vice. That requires us to a search greater control. James steyer soy of a stanford professor for more than 30 years. I have a class right now on election to thousands. And its on zoom. It is not the same thing in front of a Live Audience of the thousand kids. His 2000 people on zoom screen. So this past monday night, my guest work john hennessy, the former president of stanford. In the wellknown tech journalist who and expert on technology and elections. So cara who is thoughtful enough and outspoken at the top of the list in my opinion, said that john hennessy, the chair and google alphabet, john, you are going to be broken up. Google is going to be broken up. Why dont you face the facts now. Its going to be good for you by the way. Going to actually be even more valuable at the end of the day. But is really an interesting moment. She said it in front of 2000 people. She said youre the moisture and used to run this university. When a cute face the facts for able going to break you up. It should be broken up. Facebook should be broken up. Enforce to take up with what is happening and instagram. I thought it was one of the most and john hennessy, he smiled and laughed. He said it may be the truth. So the congressman needs to report. So for the first time that we have dealt with some of the confrontation of power issues. The fact that in an unprecedented way in American History, small handful of companies have achieved a level of impact and dominance on our lives and institutions, unprecedented in American History. So how we address this will determine which side of history we are all on. Frank can i just one thing. I think that in terms of appreciating the state, i think the book does an excellent job of this is that what is at stake is actually almost spiritual. It is about maintaining autonomy but also protecting the communities and preserving institutions, at the most basic level as we have seen the way in which dependence upon Technology Comes to interfere with familiar life. The kind of draws us apart. Even when were residing in the same cubicle spaces. And to protect the thing that we really care about, once they are gone, they are gone. We cant dance around the ultimate stakes. And again, the pandemic example, i stroll down my main street in washington and icy all of the stores gone. All the amazon packages. And this is not some game. We all know that in our core. I want to have, my life is richer if i have five stores. A local marketplace i have interactions with people who dont look like me. Who there are vendors who actually care about what the street looks like and are trying to in prove that. I think as economic structure going into this next administration i think we need to talk about some of these core values as we remake things. Danielle you actually drove right into the regulation. Obviously you touched on antitrust jim i know jim you have a particular stamp on this. Cover everything we been talking about. It was a real controversial thing right now. As of those who dont know what section 230 basically does is allow the Tech Companies from being held liable for unit two other users have. So it is not facebooks fault. If so that is a way that section 230 is benefiting the Tech Companies. Jim, i think you are actually not a fan of section 230. So lets talk a little bit about that. James steyer in the book, i wrote a piece about section 230 with my colleague read and a good friend bruce reed. For Clinton Obama and Vice President bidens chief of staff. Very knowledgeable