Big Tech vs. free speech: INTEC to host panel on digital power

Santo Domingo.- In a world where digital platforms wield unprecedented power over information and public discourse, a critical question is emerging: Is freedom of expression at risk? To address this pressing debate, the Technological Institute of Santo Domingo (INTEC), in collaboration with Contexto Comunicaciones and TransversalRD, will host a pivotal panel discussion titled, “Freedom of Expression vs. Big Tech: Control or Guarantee?”

The event will bring together a roster of prominent communicators and legal experts to analyze how major technology companies are reshaping the rules of communication and what this means for democratic discourse in the Dominican Republic. The panel is scheduled for Thursday, September 11, at 6:00 p.m. in the Social Security Auditorium on the INTEC campus.

The discussion will feature a diverse group of panelists, including Persio Maldonado, Edith Febles, Laura Castellanos, Sergio Carlo, Maribel Reyes, and José Martínez Brito, with well-known communicator Lissette Selman serving as moderator.

Beyond the immediate issues, the forum aims to establish a precedent for public dialogue on communication in the country, offering insights and perspectives to help secure a more plural, free, and responsible information ecosystem. The conversation is deemed crucial, focusing on the roles of traditional media, content creators, and the public’s right to information in an era where technology is evolving faster than laws and institutions.

The initiative, sponsored by The Event CO Studio, reaffirms INTEC’s commitment to fostering critical thinking and academic debate on major societal challenges through its School of Social Communication and Digital Media. Contexto Comunicaciones, a strategic communications agency, and TransversalRD, a digital media outlet dedicated to independent analysis, are co-organizing the event.