LIBN 021221-Web.Pdf
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
LIBN.COM VOLUME 68 NUMBER 7 ■ LIBN.COM Part of the network FEBRUARY 12-18, 2021 ■ $2.00 FREE SPEECH? A debate rages over Big Tech and the First Amendment ›› Page 4 Social icon Circle Only use blue and/or white. For more details check out our Brand Guidelines. FINANCE/TECH REAL ESTATE FOCUS/ACCOUNTING 1-800-FLOWERS.COM AMAZON TAKES $1,400 PAYMENTS FOUNDER JIM MCCANN’S 300,000 SF PART OF BIDEN SPAC CLOSES IPO IN MELVILLE VIRUS RELIEF ›› 8 ›› 7 ›› 17 2 I LONG ISLAND BUSINESS NEWS I February 12-18, 2021 I LIBN.COM LONG LIVE LONG ISLAND™ When we see Long Island, before all else, we see you— every unique, astounding one of you. Because it’s your rich and vibrant lives that breathe life into our island. So, at every Catholic Health hospital, practice, and care facility, we’re able to provide the highest quality, most innovative care for your body because our culture cherishes your humanity. For more information, visit LongLiveLongIsland.org LONG ISLAND BUSINESS NEWS I February 12-18, 2021 I LIBN.COM I 3 THISWEEK Movers & Shakers COVER STORY Focus: Accounting 4 FREE SPEECH? 17 DEMS PROPOSE $1,400 A debate rages over Big Tech and the PAYMENTS AS PART OF BIDEN VIRUS RELIEF First Amendment 13 NEW DIRECTOR NAMED AT PRONTO OF LONG ISLAND Real Estate 7 AMAZON TAKES 300,000 SF IN MELVILLE FOR DISTRIBUTION HUB LASTWEEK’SPOLL: LISTS: ACCOUNTING FIRMS, 18; COLLEGES, 7 CBRE TAPPED FOR NEW 26; HOSPITALS, 27; SENIOR LIVING, 30 IN-PERSON WEDDINGS MELVILLE INDUSTRIAL ASSIGNMENT Events Long Island Business News hosts an array of Is it too early to bring back award programs, panel discussions, educational forums and more throughout the year. To view the full event lineup, nom- in-person weddings on Long Finance/Tech inate, and register to attend at libn.com/eventsdirectory. Island? 8 1-800-FLOWERS.COM FOUNDER JIM MCCANN’S SPAC CLOSES IPO • Yes: they could be superspreaders. 50% The special purpose acquisition ›› Diversity in Business — March 2 company to focus on the consumer- ›› Achievements in Healthcare — March 18 • No: It’s about time. 34% facing e-commerce sector ›› Executive Circle Awards — May 6 • Yes: But I’d send a gift and not at- ›› Corporate Citizenship Awards — June 10 tend. 16% ›› Business & Finance Awards — June 25 EVERYWEEK Visit www.libn.com to cast your vote for next week’s poll: 10 From LIBN.com 1B Public/Legal Notices Nominations Nominations for our 2021 award programs Does Big Tech have too much influence over our infor- are now open: libn.com/eventsdirectory 13 Movers & Shakers 34 On Our Island mation? Reprints Capitalize on positive news and grow your Social icon 14 Opinion 35 Classifieds Circle Only use blue and/or white. For more details check out our business. Get the word on with reprints, e-prints and com- Brand Guidelines. memorative plaques. We are the only authorized provider of reprinted LIBN products. Call us today at 631.737.1700 Find us on: Advisory | Tax | Audit Redefining what you should expect from your accountant. Grassi advisors and accountants provide the insights you need to make confident business decisions. Louis C. Grassi, CPA, CFE President & CEO 516.336.2450 | [email protected] grassicpas.com 4 I LONG ISLAND BUSINESS NEWS I February 12-18, 2021 I LIBN.COM COVERSTORY FREE SPEECH? A debate rages over Big Tech and the First Amendment Social icon Circle Only use blue and/or white. For more details check out our Brand Guidelines. By ADINA GENN And there are concerns about computer algorithms Amendment, adopted 230 years ago, and what its im- that feed news items to people based on their browser pact means in the 21st Century. debate brews over whether Big Tech has too much history, a pattern that can prevent citizens from getting “It’s not a living thing,” Rosenberg said of the First influence over free expression and what that enough accurate information to tell fact from fiction. Amendment. “It’s the foundation of our government, means for the future. This was the focus of a wide-ranging sponsored and it should never be changed.” Social media companies have been simultane- discussion on LIBN|Now, LIBN’s weekly web series But, 230 years later, Rosenberg pointed out, “we have Aously praised and condemned in recent weeks as they that airs Thursdays at 12:30 p.m. on Facebook Live and a different type of society today in which our com- cracked down on inciteful posts they said could foment Zoom. munications are being controlled by certain monopo- further violence after the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Panelists included Ronald J. Rosenberg, senior part- lies - the tech monopolies which never existed in the Capitol. ner of Rosenberg Calica & Birney; Ameer Benno, pres- country before now.” That’s prompted some in the business community ident of Nassau Lawyers’ Association of Long Island; Meanwhile alarm has sounded over disinformation to question if tech companies would now hold other and Robert Tembeckjian, administrator and counsel of campaigns that easily spread falsehoods across online leaders to the same standard. the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct. platforms. There’s concern that Big Tech will wade further into The show was moderated by Joe Dowd, LIBN’s editor “You can’t yell fire in a theater unless there really is deciding what is and isn’t allowed on their platforms, and associate publisher. one without expecting the consequences,” Tembeckjian potentially alienating large swaths of their user base. Much of the discussion centered on the First said. “Can you say on Facebook that someone is a child LONG ISLAND BUSINESS NEWS I February 12-18, 2021 I LIBN.COM I 5 RONALD ROSENBERG: ‘The most important funda- AMEER BENNO: ‘We should have a robust open ROBERT TEMBECKJIAN: ‘By the time the Court gets mental thing we have in the courts and law, and in our marketplace of ideas, and we should be free to select around to deciding issues about 2020, we are going society and government, is the freedom of speech.’ those ideas that we think are supported by facts.’ to have moved to the next generation of a problem or issue.’ ‘THERE ARE CONCERNS ABOUT COMPUTER ALGORITHMS THAT FEED NEWS ITEMS TO PEOPLE BASED ON THEIR BROWSER HISTORY, A PATTERN THAT CAN PREVENT CITIZENS FROM GETTING ENOUGH ACCURATE INFORMATION TO TELL FACT FROM FICTION.’ abuser if they’re not? And can that person be punished have played in shaping a modern world filled with “By the time the Court gets around to deciding for wrongfully claiming that someone is demonstrably polarized, angry groups and huge factions falling for issues about 2020 – Amazon, Twitter - we are going provably not what you’re saying that he or she is?” bogus conspiracies and misinformation about science, to have moved to the next generation of a problem At the heart of the debate is Section 230, the federal politics and medicine. or issue,” he added. “I think what we are going to be Communications Decency Act, which was signed into “There’s no question that those who are in control of evolving to whether it’s by antitrust or whether it’s by law 25 years ago by President Bill Clinton. At the time, the levers of power and Big Tech, and they can control prescriptive legislation.” social platforms “were very concerned about their ex- what people see, are ultimately going to be able to sway But Rosenberg said that “antitrust has nothing to do posure to civil liability,” prompting Congress to create public opinion, and I think that’s a very big concern,” with content of speech. Antitrust has to do with con- the statute, Benno said. Benno said. trol of markets and that’s what we have here we have It “gives these platforms immunity, “Benno said. “It “We don’t have to agree as to what’s true and what’s - three or four companies that control all the markets. says that these platforms … are not publishers, mean- false or what’s right and what’s wrong,” he added. “But Amazon controls basically everything.” ing they can’t be sued for defamation because a third I do think that we should all be in agreement that we Meanwhile, computer algorithms remain troubling. party put content on their site that might fall into one should have a robust open marketplace of ideas and we “The algorithms are doing the work, and the algo- of these not protected categories.” should be free to select those ideas that we think are rithms have a life of their own,” Tembeckjian said. “I “And that’s where we’re at right now,” Benno said. It supported by facts.” don’t think that the heads of these companies start out “allowed the Internet to flourish and, in many ways, to This status quo remains worrisome. with malicious intent, and I don’t think they appre- become a robust exchange of competing ideas.” Big Tech is “the strongest concentration of pow- ciated how” out of control their own platforms coule But over the past year, former President Donald er in the fewest people in the history of the world,” b e c om e .” Trump, other Republicans and some Democrats have Rosenberg said. “You have a handful of people who Moving forward, “the most important fundamental called for revoking a Section 230, which would remove control basically 95 percent or more of all the means of thing we have in the courts and law, and in our society protections for social platforms, which can host communication.