S7 Ep72: Big Tech Backslide and The 1st Amendment with Civil Rights Attorney Nora Benavidez

When platforms profit over people, communities pay the price. In the latest episode of Latinas from the Block to the Boardroom, Theresa E. Gonzales speaks with Nora Benavidez, a Civil Rights and Free Speech Latina attorney fighting for free expression and tech accountability. While Big Tech spends $61.5M on lobbying to avoid this accountability, Nora is using civil rights law to fight back and won her groundbreaking PEN America v. Trump victory to exposing the "Big Tech Backslide" that eliminated 17 safety policies right before the 2024 election. She is the ONLY LATINA proving that strategic legal action that can challenge even the most powerful tech giants.

Nora shares how she went from law school—where no one looked like her—to the ACLU and now Free Press, shaping policy around misinformation and civil rights. Her Big Tech Backslide report exposes how companies like Meta, X, and YouTube rolled back critical trust and safety policies despite public promises.
Finally, we dive into Section 230, the law that shields platforms from liability while still enabling harm, yet we are still protected by this from our 1st Amendment rights. 

She is a contributing writer for Rolling Stone, The Atlantic, CNN, and Tech Policy Press. Her expertise and commentary is regularly featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, CNN, NBC, Fox News, The Los Angeles Times, and other publications.

Join us on Latinas from the Block to the Boardroom as we  amplify Latine and community voices, through their stories of perseverance, and having the courage to believe in your pursuit of your dream. Let's take control of our narratives, discuss pathways to higher education, empower community with technology, to inspire future generations.

Host & Executive Producer Theresa E. Gonzales discusses everything from the our representation in tech industry, healthy communities, change makers of non-profits, education and small business journeys, through intergenerational conversations with unapologetic banter tochange the status quo.


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