Tim Wu
Internet Advocate; Professor, Columbia Law School; Author, The Master Switch
Tim Wu is dedicated to resisting centralized management of what we see and hear online. As Forbes magazine said of him: “Columbia Law professor Tim Wu believes private enterprise poses as much of a threat to free expression as government censorship.” Tim tells us that we have much to worry about — how in the past, powerful new forms of communication such as the telephone and broadcast TV fell into the arms of a few corporate interests, creating monopolies, stifling innovation and destroying all the advantages of open access and competition. As a specialist in telecommunications law, copyright, and international trade, he argues forcefully that the information superhighway must remain open and beneficial to all the public, and not be dominated by corporate interests. Tim is the originator of the phrase “net neutrality” — the concept that all Internet content and websites should be treated equally by the networks controlling the flow and access to the Internet. Tim won the 2012 World Technology Award in the Law category. He was also chosen in 2013 for The 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America by the National Law Journal. A battle is looming for control of the Internet, and his latest book illuminates and challenges to free speech and open access to its information and services. His insightful analysis and frank warnings are must reads: The Master Switch: The Rise and Fall of Information Empires and Who Controls the Internet? Illusions of a Borderless World (co-written with Jack Goldsmith). Tim regularly consults with policymakers on ways to keep the internet free from censorship and monopoly control. He has been recognized as one of fifty leaders in science and technology by Scientific American, and 01238 magazine has listed him as one of Harvard’s one hundred most influential graduates. Tim is a regular contributor to Slate, writing on topics in law, media, culture, travel, and cuisine. He has contributed to The New Yorker, TIME, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Forbes.
Tim Wu is dedicated to resisting centralized management of what we see and hear online. As Forbes magazine said of him: “Columbia Law professor Tim Wu believes private enterprise poses as much of a threat to free expression as government censorship.” Tim tells us that we have much to worry about — how in the past, powerful new forms of communication such as the telephone and broadcast TV fell into the arms of a few corporate interests, creating monopolies, stifling innovation and destroying all the advantages of open access and competition. As a specialist in telecommunications law, copyright, and international trade, he argues forcefully that the information superhighway must remain open and beneficial to all the public, and not be dominated by corporate interests. Tim is the originator of the phrase “net neutrality” — the concept that all Internet content and websites should be treated equally by the networks controlling the flow and access to the Internet. Tim won the 2012 World Technology Award in the Law category. He was also chosen in 2013 for The 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America by the National Law Journal. A battle is looming for control of the Internet, and his latest book illuminates and challenges to free speech and open access to its information and services. His insightful analysis and frank warnings are must reads: The Master Switch: The Rise and Fall of Information Empires and Who Controls the Internet? Illusions of a Borderless World (co-written with Jack Goldsmith). Tim regularly consults with policymakers on ways to keep the internet free from censorship and monopoly control. He has been recognized as one of fifty leaders in science and technology by Scientific American, and 01238 magazine has listed him as one of Harvard’s one hundred most influential graduates. Tim is a regular contributor to Slate, writing on topics in law, media, culture, travel, and cuisine. He has contributed to The New Yorker, TIME, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Forbes.
