UC Law Journal Examines Intersection of First Amendment and Social Media

The UC Law Journal’s 2025 symposium, “Chronically Online: Social Media Content Moderation’s Struggle With the First Amendment,” brought together leading scholars and lawyers who work in the space to explore the tensions that are part of everyday life for millions of people.

From children getting their first smartphone to the influence of national political campaigns, the free speech guarantees of the First Amendment regularly clash with restrictions on social media content, and these conflicts raise new questions in policy and law.

The UC Law Journal’s 2025 symposium, “Chronically Online: Social Media Content Moderation’s Struggle With the First Amendment,” brought together leading scholars and lawyers who work in the space to explore the tensions that are part of everyday life for millions of people.

The Feb. 20 event at UC Law SF launched with a keynote address by Brittan Heller of Stanford Law, who discussed the evolution of technology and its societal impacts.

Heller’s presentation set the stage for the day’s discussions and led into a thought-provoking panel featuring scholars and advocates in technology law. “Platform Liability and Free Speech: Legal and Ethical Dimensions” included Eric Goldman of Santa Clara University’s School of Law, Tiffany Li of the University of San Francisco School of Law, and Molly Buckley, a fellow from the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s civil liberties team.

Subsequent sessions continued to address the theme from diverse perspectives.

In the morning, a discussion offered a comparative analysis of public and corporate law approaches to content moderation. “The Practicalities of Content Moderation and the First Amendment: A Practitioner’s Perspective” featured Thomas McBrien from the Electronic Privacy Information Center and Adam Sieff, a media and constitutional litigation partner at Davis Wright Tremaine, and was moderated by Paul Belonick, director of Startup Legal Garage in UC Law SF’s Center for Innovation (C4i).

An afternoon panel, “International Law and Free Expression: Navigating the Global Challenges of Content Moderation,” broadened discussion of an issue that transgresses national borders. It featured Daphne Keller of Stanford Law, Evelyn Aswad of the University of Oklahoma College of Law, and Pamela Samuelson of UC Berkeley Law.

One additional symposium highlight was a fireside chat featuring UC Law SF Professor Matthew Coles in conversation with UC Law Journal’s Executive Symposium Editor Zahra Muzaffar. Their dialogue provided insightful reflections on the practical implications of content moderation policies and constitutional protections.

The day concluded with an engaging happy hour, where students and legal practitioners engaged in meaningful discussions about the topics explored throughout the symposium.

When reflecting on the event, Muzaffar, the lead organizer for the symposium said, “I’m so grateful for how the UC Law Journal Symposium came together—it was amazing to see such thoughtful discussions on social media content moderation. Moderating the fireside chat with Professor Coles was a highlight—his insights really pushed the conversation forward. I couldn’t have asked for a better group to share this experience with.”

This event was made possible through the generous support of McManis Faulkner and Cotchett Pitre & McCarthy LLP.

Founded in 1949, the UC Law Journal has published scholarly articles, essays, and student Notes on a broad range of legal topics.

This symposium summary was provided by UC Law SF 3L Dilani Logan.