Brendan Carr's Vendetta Against ABC Conflates the 'Public Interest' With Trump's Personal Grievances
The FCC chairman is punishing the network for news coverage and programming decisions that offend the president.
Censorship
Ibram X. Kendi Is Wrong About Jason Arday
Are the media responsible for the demise of a famous black professor at the University of Cambridge?
As France Pauses Social Media Ban, American Lawmakers Race To Restrict the Internet
France's top court ruled that a social media ban for under-15s would infringe on free expression and privacy.
A Major 'Online Safety' Bill Cleared a Senate Committee. More Crackdowns on Internet Freedom Could Be Coming.
The Senate Commerce committee advanced four bills related to online and AI safety in the name of protecting children.
A New Jersey News Outlet Asks the Courts To Stop a Judge's Censorship
The judge concluded that a high school student's privacy interests trumped freedom of the press.
RIP Lou Koller, a Hardcore Punk Hero and Free Speech Champion
Remembering the lead singer for the iconic band Sick of It All
Brendan Carr Says ABC's Refusal To Air a Trump Speech Could Affect Renewal of Its Broadcast Licenses
The FCC chairman thinks the "public interest" standard is a license to interfere with freedom of the press.
France Passes Social Media Ban for Under-15s, Leading Europe's Crackdown on Internet Freedom
French President Emmanuel Macron has advocated for social media bans before. Now, he's gotten his wish before leaving office.
A New Jersey Judge Defies the First Amendment by Censoring News Coverage of a High School Lockdown
The judge contradicted Supreme Court precedents by ruling that a student's "privacy interests" trumped "the severe constitutional presumption" against prior restraints.
Before the NSA Honored Historian David Kahn, the FBI Investigated Him
Newly declassified files reveal that J. Edgar Hoover wanted to prosecute the NSA’s future scholar in residence for collecting cryptography manuals.
Pew Poll: 56% of U.S. Adults Support Social Media Ban for Everyone Under 16
The anti-social media crusaders have popular support. That should worry online freedom advocates.
In Europe, Just Reposting Russian Propaganda Can Land a Blogger in Jail
Don't assume this couldn't happen in America too.
Democrats' First 'Project 2029' Proposal: More Government Control Over Social Media
Semafor reported on Project 2029’s "Kids Over Clicks" proposal, which outlines Democrats' plans to regulate social media and AI companies.
ICE Warns Syracuse Poll Worker To Delete a Political Instagram Post
Federal law can punish true threats, and doxing intended to facilitate violence. But this woman simply named a government agent, which is not a crime.
You Can Root for Iran at the World Cup Without Rooting for the Iranian Regime
Plus: the worst rule at the World Cup, and the worst person in golf?
England Fans Warned Not To Chant 'Keir Starmer's a Wanker' at World Cup
FIFA can restrict political messaging inside its stadiums, but there is no stopping English football fans from mocking their prime minister elsewhere.
Bipartisan JAWBONE Act Targets Government Censorship Threats
Government agencies would have to report communications and could be sued for bullying.
'Unmasking, Naming, and Shaming': This Academic Freedom Group Is Pushing for Campus Censorship
Public records obtained by City Journal show the Center for the Defense of Academic Freedom has taken a bizarrely censorial approach to its mission.
Two Senators Offer a Bipartisan Solution to Censorship by Proxy
The JAWBONE Act would let Americans sue government officials who try to restrict their speech by pressuring social media platforms, broadcasters, or AI companies.
Nude Shrek Text to Ohio State Senator Reportedly Lands Blogger in Jail
Free speech experts say the “Shrext” is protected by the First Amendment.
Shame on the U.K. for Censoring Hasan Piker and Cenk Uygur
"This ban is completely unfounded and must be reversed," writes Shabbos Kestenbaum.
The FCC Wants Warning Labels for Shows With 'Transgender' Content
But free speech advocates are pushing back.
Trump Loves Accusing Critics of Treason. U.S. Law Makes That Charge Hard To Prove—for Good Reason.
The president’s habitual attempts to criminalize dissent hark back to tyrants of yore.
Does Reporting Bad News About the Iran War Make You a Foreign Agent?
The Trump administration invokes the notoriously vague FARA to threaten a critic.
Review: A Victim of Chinese Authoritarianism Explains Censorship and Surveillance
"A primary aim of censorship is to normalize itself," Ai Weiwei writes in his new book On Censorship.
The Global War on Free Speech
Jacob Mchangama and Jeff Kosseff discuss the global decline of free speech, why democracies are embracing censorship, and what can be done to protect open debate.
D.C. Circuit Seems Disinclined To Let Pete Hegseth Punish a Senator for His Speech
The defense secretary argues that military retirees like Sen. Mark Kelly are not allowed to say things he unilaterally deems "prejudicial to good order and discipline."
Trump's Responses to Kimmel and Comey Highlight His Contempt for Freedom of Speech
The president is not shy about using government power to punish people for saying things that offend him.
Bankers Scouring Porn Sites. Payment Processors Punishing Journalists. Here's How 'Big Finance' Is Chilling Speech
Financial censorship should worry us all, suggests Rainey Reitman in Transaction Denied.
Allowing Censorship of Military Retirees Like Sen. Mark Kelly Would Set a Chilling and Dangerous Precedent
To justify punishing a legislator for his speech, a FIRE brief notes, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth relies on a Supreme Court precedent that is clearly inapposite.
The Supreme Court Ruled Against 'Informal Censorship' 6 Decades Ago but Officials Are Still Jawboning
The Court's 1963 ruling in Bantam Books v. Sullivan is freshly relevant in light of recent efforts to restrict speech through government intimidation.
Pete Hegseth Wants the D.C. Circuit To Let Him Punish a Senator for Criticizing Him
The defense secretary's asserted authority to control the speech of retired military officers "would chill public participation by veterans," a brief supporting Mark Kelly warns.
Yale Admits Self-Censorship and Political Bias Are Eroding Trust in Higher Education
The Ivy League school released a self-critical report this week.
When the U.S. Censored a Movie About the American Revolution and Imprisoned Its Producer
Remembering the infuriating case of United States v. “The Spirit of ’76.”
UNC Newspaper Halts Satire and Implements DEI Training After Backlash Over April Fools' Issue
Free speech lawyers say UNC violated North Carolina’s institutional neutrality law.
FBI Goes After Whistleblower Who Helped Unmask the 'Fort Bragg Cartel'
The feds have arrested an Army staffer who spoke to a journalist for a book about special operations. The journalist says it's retaliation for exposing corruption.
What If the U.K. Had Free Speech Like the U.S.?
The U.K. said it would stop investigating "legal" social media posts, but free speech advocates demand more change.
A Lawsuit Settlement Highlights Trump's Hypocrisy on Government Meddling With Social Media
Despite its rejection of the Biden administration's interference, the Trump administration is still asserting authority over online speech.
4chan Sends Hilarious, Hamster-Filled Reminder That U.S. Companies Need Not Follow British Speech Regulations
"We are not in the mood to discuss the matter further, and have not been in the mood for 250 years."
Why the Media Pushes Public Health Myths
Plus: The FCC threatens broadcast licenses over war coverage, J.D. Vance positions himself as an Iran war skeptic, and remembering Reason Senior Editor Brian Doherty.
Trump Wants To Cover Up Bad News About the Iran War
And Middle Eastern dictatorships are helping him do it.
Can the Government Ban You from Telling the Truth?
Mark Chenoweth discusses the SEC’s gag rule, the power of the administrative state, and the legal battle over whether regulators can silence their critics.
Users Made Grok Post Offensive Soccer Jokes. Now the U.K. Wants To Censor It.
After users prompted Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok to generate "vulgar" posts, British officials warned X it could face penalties.
Iran Is Trying To Silence Dissent. Western Media Are Breaking Through Anyway.
Satellite broadcasting is a strategic counter to state censorship.
Can Iran's Protest Movement Topple the Regime?
Exiled journalist Fardad Farahzad discusses how Iranians get uncensored news, the state of the protest movement, and whether the Islamic Republic is losing its grip on power.
DHS Wants To Unmask Online Critics
Plus: The FCC targets Disney and Comcast, new Epstein associates revealed, and Trump’s tariffs cause growing rifts with U.S. allies.
