* Governance of Online Intermediaries: ** New Study by the Global Network of Internet and Society Centers* February 2015 The Global Network of Internet and Society Research Centers <http://networkofcenters.net/> (NoC) and the Berkman Center for Internet & Society <http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/> at Harvard University are pleased to announce the release of a new report <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2566364>, which examines the rapidly changing landscape of online intermediary liability at the intersection of law, technology, norms, and markets, and is aimed at informing and improving Internet policy-making globally._ ___ This report is a first output of a larger initiative on the governance of online intermediaries and consists of a case study series <https://publixphere.net/i/noc/page/Online_Intermediaries_Research_Project_Ca...> exploring online intermediary liability frameworks and issues in Brazil, the European Union, India, South Korea, the United States, Thailand, Turkey, and Vietnam, and a synthesis paper <https://publixphere.net/i/noc/page/NoC_Online_Intermediaries_Research_Projec...> that seeks to distill key observations and provide a high-level analysis of some of the structural elements that characterize varying governance frameworks, with a focus on intermediary liability regimes and their evolution. In particular the synthesis highlights the importance of cultural and political context, as reflected in both the legal norms aimed at regulating intermediaries and the perception of intermediaries’ social function within the countries studied. The research effort is grounded in a diversity of global perspectives and collaborative research techniques, committed to objective and independent academic standards, and aspires to be useful, actionable, and timely for policymakers and stakeholders. More broadly, the Network of Centers seeks to contribute to a more generalized vision and longer-term strategy regarding the role of academic research, facilitation and convening, and education and communication in the Internet age. The full text of the case studies <https://publixphere.net/i/noc/page/Online_Intermediaries_Research_Project_Ca...> and the synthesis paper <https://publixphere.net/i/noc/page/NoC_Online_Intermediaries_Research_Projec...> are available on the Publixphere website, where the authors welcome comments and feedback. The series and individual papers are also available for download from SSRN <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2566364>. -- *About the Global Network of Internet and Society Research Centers* The Global Network of Internet and Society Research Centers (NoC) was launched by a group of academic centers in 2012 in recognition of the lack of internationally coordinated research and engagement activities in issues concerning the Internet and related technologies. The NoC is a collaborative initiative among academic institutions with a focus on interdisciplinary research on the development, social impact, policy implications, and legal issues concerning the Internet. This collective aims to increase interoperability between participating centers in order to stimulate the creation of new cross-national, cross-disciplinary conversation, debate, teaching, learning, and engagement regarding the most pressing questions around new technologies, social change, and related policy and regulatory developments. More information can be found at http://networkofcenters.net/get-involved. -- Raimondo Iemma Managing Director & Research Fellow Nexa Center for Internet and Society http://nexa.polito.it/ Project Manager Global Network of Internet & Society Research Centers http://networkofcenters.net/