COMM 2551 — Free Speech in Cyberspace
4 semester hoursUndergraduateLectureNUpath SIusually offered: falltypical days: M/W/ThBostonTraditional
Examines the intersection of law, policy, and new (or relatively new) information and communication technologies. New technologies offer the possibility of new forms of creativity, political engagement, and social life; they also, however, offer very real opportunities to cause serious reputational harm, promote damaging malicious speech, create new controls on creativity, and violate privacy. Uses readings and in-class activities to consider how values and principles that have historically been deemed important apply to the world of new information and communication technologies. Examines how law and policy shape the development and use of new technologies and, at the same time, investigates how new technologies challenge, undermine, and reconfigure existing law and policy.
Offering history
| Term | Sections | Enrolled | Capacity | Full | Open seats/section |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2023 | 1 | 17 | 19 | 89% | 2.0 |
| Fall 2024 | 1 | 19 | 19 | 100% | 0.0 |
| Fall 2025 | 1 | 19 | 19 | 100% | 0.0 |
| Spring 2026 | 1 | 18 | 19 | 95% | 1.0 |
Snapshots from scheduled scrapes — not live seat availability. "Full" can exceed 100% when sections over-enroll.
Meeting times
Share of recent sections by weekday: M 74% · T 26% · W 51% · Th 74% · F 0%
Common patterns: MWR (51% of sections), T (26% of sections), MR (23% of sections) — in patterns, R means Thursday
Professors
Fall
- Ryan Ellis (100% of students) · reviews
Spring
- Ryan Ellis (100% of students) · reviews
Percentages are each professor's average share of the season's enrolled students in recent terms.
Links
Official catalog (COMM course descriptions) · Student reviews on RateMyHusky · All COMM courses · Plan it at numap.app