Internet Pioneers and Former FCC Leaders Debate Net Neutrality with Intelligence Squared U.S. and Northwestern Law, Live from Chicago on April 17

The Federal Communications Commission's recent decision to end net neutrality regulations has fueled a national debate about the future of the internet. On Tuesday, April 17 - the week before the FCC's decision takes effect - the "fantastic" (New Yorker) debate series Intelligence Squared U.S. will present both sides of this divisive issue in a live debate on the motion "Preserve Net Neutrality: All Data is Created Equal." Held in partnership with the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law for their Newton and Jo Minnow Debate Series, this marks Intelligence Squared U.S.'s return to Chicago after recent debates in New York, Brussels, Washington DC, San Francisco, and beyond.

Former FCC chairman Tom Wheeler, who led the initial efforts to adopt net neutrality, will partner with Mozilla chairwoman and longtime open-web advocate Mitchell Baker to argue in favor of the motion. They will be opposed by former FCC chief economist Michael Katz and Reason.com editor-in-chief Nick Gillespie, who will argue against preserving net neutrality.

The debate will be held at Chicago's Thorne Auditorium and stream live online, then air soon after as part of the syndicated public radio show and podcast "Intelligence Squared U.S." On April 17, online viewers can tune in at IQ2US's website.

WHAT: Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates "Preserve Net Neutrality: All Data is Created Equal"

WHEN: Tuesday, April 17, 2018 / Reception 5:00-6:15 / Debate 6:30-8:00 PM

WHERE: Thorne Auditorium / 375 E Chicago Ave / Chicago, IL 60611

TICKETS: Free with RSVP

Debating For the Motion:

* Mitchell Baker: Chairwoman, Mozilla Foundation & Mozilla Corporation 

Mitchell Baker is chairwoman of the Mozilla Corporation and Foundation. She is a strong advocate for the open web and open source applications and is highly regarded as one of the pioneers responsible for designing the web into what it is today. Baker was instrumental in Netscape's 1998 decision to release its source code to the public. This led to the release of the Firefox browser and the creation of the Mozilla Project as one of the most influential technology organizations in the world. TIME magazine has included Baker in its global list of the 100 most influential people and Bloomberg listed her as one of the 25 most influential people on the web.

* Tom Wheeler: Fellow at Brookings Institution and Harvard Kennedy School, Former Chairman, FCC 

Tom Wheeler is a businessman, author, and former chairman of the Federal Communication Commission. He led the FCC efforts that resulted in the adoption of net neutrality, privacy protections for consumers, and increased cybersecurity, among other policies. His chairmanship has been described as, "the most productive Commission in the history of the agency." From 1979 to 1984, he was president and CEO of the National Cable Television Association. He is currently a professor at Harvard Law School and a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Debating Against the Motion:

* Nick Gillespie: Editor in Chief of Reason.tv and Reason.com 

Nick Gillespie is editor in chief of Reason.com and ReasonTV, the online platforms of Reason, the libertarian magazine of "Free Minds and Free Markets." Gillespie's work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, Slate, Salon, Time.com, Marketplace, and numerous other publications. As one of America's foremost libertarians, Gillespie is also a frequent commentator on radio and television.

* Michael Katz: Professor, Berkeley & Former Chief Economist, FCC 

Michael Katz is a professor at Berkeley College and a member of the Economic Analysis and Policy Group at the Haas School of Business. He was previously the chief economist for the Federal Communications Commission, where he received the Chairman's Special Achievement Award. He has also served as deputy assistant attorney general for economic analysis in the antitrust division of the Department of Justice. He is a two-time recipient of the Earl F. Cheit Award for Excellence in Teaching and was an Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow.

ABOUT INTELLIGENCE SQUARED U.S. DEBATES (IQ2US)

A non-partisan, non-profit organization, Intelligence Squared U.S. was founded in 2006 to address a fundamental problem in America: the extreme polarization of our nation and our politics. Their mission is to restore critical thinking, facts, reason, and civility to American public discourse. The award-winning debate series reaches over 30 million American households through multi-platform distribution, including radio, television, live streaming, podcasts, interactive digital content, and on-demand apps on Roku and Apple TV. With over 140 debates and counting, Intelligence Squared U.S. has encouraged the public to "think twice" on a wide range of provocative topics. Author and ABC News correspondent John Donvan has moderated IQ2US since 2008.

ABOUT NORTHWESTERN PRITZKER SCHOOL OF LAW

Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, a professional graduate school of Northwestern University, is one of the country's leading law schools. Founded in 1859, the school that would become known as Northwestern Law was the first law school established in the city of Chicago. Today, Northwestern Law prides itself on its rigorous intellectual environment, highly interdisciplinary faculty, low student-faculty ratio, and diverse and supportive community. Northwestern Law graduates are leaders in the profession, from law firms to government, non-profits to academia, tackling today's pressing legal issues.