William H. Dutton's presentation discusses the evolution of online governance, contrasting the first electronic city hall in Santa Monica with contemporary issues around social media, particularly Twitter's suspension of Donald Trump. It highlights the complexities of online censorship, user behavior, and the role of social media in polarization and misinformation. Dutton calls for focused research on content moderation, user empowerment, and the ongoing challenges of maintaining freedom of expression in digital spaces.

1. Power Corrupts:
Reflections on the First Electronic City Hall
&
Twitter's Regulation of Government
William H. Dutton
An American in the UK @BiIIDutton (II=two capital i’s)
Freedom of Expression on the Net: The Ban of US President Trump on Social Media, organized by
Professor Dr. Oleana Goroshko, held in Ukraine online, 1 February 2021.

2. The First Electronic City Hall, 1989
• Santa Monica California’s Public Electronic Network (PEN)
• Diffusion of personal computers to households & BBS
• City gov’t owned plain old text-based computer conferencing
• Engaged residents in conferences with impact, such as lockers,
showers and washing machines for homeless (SWASHLOCK)
• Anchored on a strict US First Amendment interpretation
• Regulated content informally: user influence & ‘Den Mother Notes’
• Declined with introduction of ‘moderated’ forums and the Internet
• Issues over civility, norms, rules of order, censorship or any prior
restraint of speech
William H. Dutton presentation on 1 February 2021

3. Twitter’s Suspension of @realDonaldTrump
• Two tweets precariously linked to justifying suspension for ‘glorifying
violence’, or ‘incitements to violence’
• Decision shaped by polarization over Capitol Hill disaster of 6 January
• Lion’s share of Twitter staff & users likely in support of suspension
• First Amendment applies to government, not Twitter, but …
• Twitter arguably not acting as neutral intermediary (Section 230 of CDA)
• Analogous locking of accounts by other social media, e.g., Facebook
• Streisand Effect - here we are - talking about Donald Trump
• Suspension was unwise - for Twitter and freedom of expression
William H. Dutton presentation on 1 February 2021

4. Myths and Realities Behind the Suspension
• Myths
• Free expression and assembly are politically biased
• Social media are causing polarization (echo chambers, filter bubbles, …)
• New media & Tweets seen as magic bullets or hypodermic needles
• Misinformation is a new problem (no, was a raison d'etre for search engines)
• Realities
• Confirmation bias – you (we) are the problematic algorithm
• Polarization is a Problem: shaping the poor use and poor regulation
• Civility and Toxicity are Problems: New Media Still Interpersonally Novel
• Need to instill a greater social presence
• Need rules of order, norms, and etiquettes for new media
William H. Dutton presentation on 1 February 2021

5. Lessons to Learn?
• Wisdom in most if not all clichés, e.g., power corrupts
• Enduring concerns over online censorship, content moderation, assembly
• Partisan polarization threatens status of neutral intermediaries (Sect 230)
• Focus more research and policy analysis on:
• User-driven moderation v top-down gov’t or big tech regulation, e.g., fact checking
• Communicating, promoting, facilitating high-quality information versus censorship,
blocking, or demonizing speakers
• Refining high-quality search engines, media literacy and skills, online access, and
social networking that empower users – the Fifth Estate
• Questioning deterministic notions (echo chambers and filter bubbles)
• Understanding polarization & its role in shaping access and use of information
• Online freedom of assembly, expression and content moderation are the
key issues for global multi-disciplinary research
William H. Dutton presentation on 1 February 2021