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More than two decades since the University of Colorado Law School鈥檚 Silicon Flatirons Center for Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship launched its first inquiry into the nascent 鈥渄igital broadband migration,鈥� the internet and its constituent players have evolved from a disruptive, competitive technology to the cornerstone of nearly every aspect of the modern world.

The center鈥檚 2023 flagship conference, titled 鈥�,鈥� convened a range of leaders from the technology industry, government, media, and academia, including U.S. Senator for Colorado Michael Bennet and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, at Colorado Law Feb. 5-6.

More than 25 technology leaders, including professors from Georgetown, Columbia, and University of California, Berkeley, evaluated the good, the bad, and the ugly鈥攚here we started and where we are headed as we grapple with the challenges created by the internet鈥檚 midlife crisis.聽

In his keynote speech, Sen. Bennet discussed the , which he introduced to establish a new commission to oversee Silicon Valley. He also called for other industry changes, including the removal of TikTok from Apple and Google鈥檚 app stores over security concerns.聽

鈥淭hese digital platforms have remained almost entirely unregulated, moving fast, breaking things and leaving the rest of us to glue something of our world back together,鈥� he said.聽

Attorney General Weiser, former dean of Colorado Law, moderated a panel discussion titled 鈥淭he Future of Agencies,鈥� which explored the ability of current consumer protections to meet the challenge of internet platforms.聽

Attendees also heard from Tim Wu, a legal scholar and former special assistant to President Biden for competition and technology policy. Known for his significant contribution to antitrust and communications policy, Wu led Washington鈥檚 attempts to more aggressively check corporate giants, including the largest tech companies.

In a fireside chat, , assistant secretary of commerce for communications and information and聽 National Telecommunications and Information Administrator at the U.S. Department of Commerce, and Anna Gomez, senior advisor for international information and communications policy at the U.S. Department of State鈥檚 Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, discussed the evolution and development of the Internet.聽

鈥淲hen I started in this field in 1995, there were 40 million people online. Today there are 5 billion,鈥� said Davidson, whose office tackles policy issues like privacy, harmful content, online censorship, and cybersecurity. 鈥淭he Internet has become the essential communication medium of our time.鈥�

鈥�10, clinical professor of law specializing in technology policy and telecom and disability law, spearheaded this year鈥檚 conference.聽

鈥淭he internet has become a cornerstone of modern society for better and for worse, and many believe it should be ubiquitously available for everyone. We need to find ways to address and overcome these challenges to make it a safe and equitable place for everyone,鈥� he said.

Silicon Flatirons鈥� annual conference is a leading forum for policymakers to evaluate emerging policy challenges in the information industries. Termed 鈥渢he Davos of telecom鈥� by Internet pioneer , the conference has been the home of leading discussions, including the first about 鈥渘etwork neutrality鈥� regulation鈥揳 term coined by Tim Wu at a Silicon Flatirons conference.聽

Jackson McNeal 鈥�24 attended the conference and was involved in the planning as a member of the Silicon Flatirons Student Group. In addition to the conference content, he noted the importance of the networking opportunities it presented.聽

鈥淭his conference in particular had some very big names in the technology, law, and policy sphere, and that opportunity to build a connection and maintain it is really valuable,鈥� McNeal said. 鈥淚t's a small field and that face time is a pretty rare opportunity that I've been really grateful for.鈥澛�

The proceedings from the conferences will be published in Colorado Law鈥檚 student-run Colorado Technology Law Journal.

Founded by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser in 1999, Silicon Flatirons inspires and drives an inclusive and comprehensive approach to technology law, policy, and entrepreneurship. At the University of Colorado Law School, Silicon Flatirons supports interdisciplinary events and programs, runs year-round student programs, and serves as a think-and-do tank in law, technology, and entrepreneurship.鈥� 鈥�

鈥淚鈥檓 proud to be associated with this excellent conference,鈥� said Brad Bernthal 鈥�01, executive director of Silicon Flatirons. 鈥淧rofessor Blake Reid masterfully crafted a big yet intellectually coherent event. And our Silicon Flatirons staff鈥檚 hard work paid off, too. This was a big win for Colorado Law and Silicon Flatirons.鈥澛�

See event coverage:

• Washington Post:

• Boulder Daily Camera:

• CU Boulder Today: 7 things to know about the internet鈥檚 midlife crisis

Watch Senator Bennet's Speech