South by Southwest (SXSW) 2020

This event has been cancelled. For more information, visit SXSW website.

South By Southwest dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of the interactive, film, and music industries.

The Internet Society was planning to participate at two panels.

How Internet Access Can Preserve Native Cultures

15 March 2020, 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
JW Marriot, Salon FG

From abstract: The panel was planned to explore how Internet access can protect native cultures and community engagement can foster connectivity. We planned to discuss the opportunities and challenges that native people face in different terrains; how are native communities’ problems in the Arctic Circle and the southwest U.S. similar? How can communities learn from each other? The panelists were planned to  share their stories and ideas on creating a connected future for native and Indigenous peoples.

Mark Buell, our North America Regional Bureau Director, was planned to speak at this panel.

Read more about our Indigenous Connectivity Summits.

Can We Save the Global Internet?

21 March 2020, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Hilton Austin Downtown, Salon B

From abstract: Expansion of the Internet has slowed. And the next billion users won’t be getting the same global Internet we always took for granted. On one hand, broad-stroke regulations harm the core of how the Internet functions. At the other extreme, Internet shutdowns by governments are on the rise. What they have in common is an attempt to solve social, legal or political challenges by breaking the technologies that make the Internet happen.

This session planned to map these trends to relevant layers of the Internet, with case studies to explain the unintended effects of imposing local solutions on a global, connected system.

Sally Shipman Wentworth, our Vice President of Global Policy Development, was planned to speak at this panel.

Date and Time

Friday 13 March 2020 –

Sunday 22 March 2020

Location

Austin

Texas, United States