11/13/2014 8:45 am CSA Lecture: Ben Blink

Freedom and Power in the Digital Age:
A Presentation by Ben Blink

The Committee on Special Activities of the Naples Council and the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce are pleased to present a program by Ben Blink, Senior Policy Analyst at Google, on Thursday, November 13th, 2014, at 8:45 am at St. John the Evangelist’s Kiney Hall, 625 111th St. No., in North Naples. Coffee and Donuts will be served.

In the last 25 years, the Internet has changed how people access and share information, shifting the dynamics of societies around the globe. Those with a web connection have the potential to take any message and reach an audience of millions. But this individual potential is only possible when the Internet is open and available for its users. More than 600 million Internet users - over 30% of the world's total Internet population - live in countries where there is substantial filtering or censorship of online content. Understanding what the internet and online freedom mean for the world is critical for the future of democracy, human rights, and economic development everywhere.

Meanwhile, Google continues to amaze the world with innovative projects such as : “Google Glass” and certainly the driverless car, what can we expect to be next?

Ben Blink is a senior public policy analyst at Google and a founding member of its free expression and international relations team. Based in Washington DC, he focuses on issues related to free speech and human rights. He is responsible for building coalitions in Washington to help decrease censorship and filtering on the Internet around the globe. Ben graduated from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota.