Europe Delays Plan to Destroy the Internet With Terrible Copyright Enforcement Proposal
Lawmakers resist plan that would likely lead to widespread censorship of online media sharing.
Free Speech
Heterodox Academy Fights For Intellectual Freedom and Diversity Among Professors: Podcast
Deb Mashek explains why intellectual diversity can't be optional if we're serious about higher education.
Another Justice Like Gorsuch, Please
Contrary to what his critics say, this "narrow-minded elitist" stands up for the little guy.
Ignore the Salaciousness of the Ali Watkins Affair. The Real Story Is Feds Spying on a New York Times Reporter.
Trump extends Obama's war on leakers, jeopardizing a free press.
Stossel: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness
What we should celebrate on Independence Day.
The California Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Bad Yelp Reviews
The California Supreme Court rules that Yelp cannot be forced to remove negative reviews of a business.
Charlottesville White Nationalist Sues 'To Bring Civility Back,' Wins $5 in Damages From Woman Who Cursed Him Out
A woman screamed "fuck you" and "fuck you, asshole," at the white nationalist, in addition to calling him a "murderer" and a "crybaby."
Cops Arrested a Black Man. He Called Them Nazis, So He Was Charged With a Hate Crime.
"This is not what the hate crime statute was for. This is criminalizing pure speech, and that violates the First Amendment."
Supreme Court Trying Again on the First Amendment Retaliatory Arrest Question
The question that the Court didn't resolve in Lozman v. Riviera-Beach is back, in another case on which the Supreme Court just granted review.
The Janus Dissent's Odd Underreading of Government Employee Speech Rights
"If an employee's speech is about, in, and directed to the workplace, she has no 'possibility of a First Amendment claim,'" say the dissenters -- but that's not what the First Amendment caselaw says.
How a New SCOTUS Ruling on Abortion Could Permanently Alter Economic Regulation
"The majority's view, if taken literally, could radically change prior law," warn the Court's liberal justices.
The Limited Effects of the Supreme Court's Janus Decision
States that want to allow public sector unions, and avoid "free-rider" problems, should still be able to do that -- just by paying unions directly, rather than via compelled agency fees.
Forget Net Neutrality: The E.U. Seems Determined to Destroy the Internet
A poorly written proposal to expand copyright claims could potentially decimate online sharing of information.
NIFLA v. Becerra and Speech Compulsions
Today's Supreme Court decision adds to the law -- and the uncertainty -- about when the First Amendment bans the government from requiring speech.
Will the ACLU Defend Controversial Speech? Ira Glasser, Wendy Kaminer, Nadine Strossen React to the Memo
President David Cole says guidelines "are explicitly designed to help affiliates and national staff think through various factors in case selection decisions."
Wendy Kaminer Replies on the ACLU and Free Speech
David Cole and Nadine Strossen had responded to Kaminer's op-ed on this; Kaminer responds in turn.
After Gay Wedding Cake Ruling, Supreme Court Punts Floral Arrangements Case
Washington State told to revisit ruling against Arlene's Flowers.
ACLU's David Cole Responds About ACLU and the Freedom of Speech [UPDATED with comments from former ACLU leaders Nadine Strossen and Ira Glasser] [FURTHER UPDATED with link to Kaminer's reply]
Is the ACLU becoming less committed to protecting free speech, especially speech that some view as "imped[ing] progress toward equality"?
Leaked Internal Memo Reveals the ACLU Is Wavering on Free Speech
"Our defense of speech may have a greater or lesser harmful impact on the equality and justice work to which we are also committed."
This Libertarian Community Organizer Wants To 'Free the People': Podcast
Matt Kibbe explains why "beer is freedom," and talks about his new documentary series with Rep. Thomas Massie, Off the Grid.
N.Y. Court Rejects Libel Lawsuit Based on Lawyer's Post on Harvard Law School's SHARIAsource Blog
It all began with a jurisdictional dispute over an Egyptian divorce proceeding and a New York divorce proceeding.
The Southern Poverty Law Center's Apology to Maajid Nawaz Is Bad News for Free Speech
Frivolous defamation lawsuits undermine the First Amendment.
The Year of the Punt, or At Least of the Bunt
Very narrow decisions -- or decisions not to decide -- in some more of the Supreme Court's most watched cases.
Australian Politician and Trans Activist Bridget Clinch Files "Gender Identity Vilification" Complaint Against Critic
Clinch seeks "an apology," "an undertaking from you not to post anti-trans or vilifying posts in future, and to remove those that are currently on your public Facebook profile," "a further undertaking from you to remove any anti trans and vilifying posts made by other people from your public profile," and "for you to participate in training about vilification, and trans' issues."
SCOTUS Rules 7-2 Against State Law Banning 'Political' Attire at Polling Places
A big win for First Amendment advocates in Minnesota Voters Alliance v. Mansky.
Ban on "Political" Clothing in Polling Places Is Unconstitutionally "Unreasonable"
But a more precise ban on clothing in polling places (which the Court treats as "nonpublic fora") that mentions candidates, parties, or ballot measures may be constitutional.
Victory in Lawsuit Over Colorado's System of Private Enforcement of Campaign Finance Law
Federal Judge Raymond Moore applies strict scrutiny to a system with the power to restrict political speech and finds it unreasonable to outsource that power to anyone and everyone.
Katherine Mangu-Ward and I Podcasting About Crime-Facilitating Speech
My first foray into podcasting here at Reason, a discussion with Reason editor Katherine Mangu-Ward.
When Does Speech About Crimes Become a Crime?: Podcast
A conversation with Eugene Volokh about what's legal to publish and why-plus doxxing, lock picking, source protection, and more.
University of Michigan Realizes Facts Don't Care About Your Feelings, Changes Speech Policy
A day after DOJ joined free speech lawsuit, UM agreed to change policy that said "the most important indication of bias is your own feelings."
Department of Justice Backs Free Speech Lawsuit Against University of Michigan Bias Response Team
"The United States has a significant interest in the vigilant protection of constitutional freedoms in institutions of higher learning."
N.Y. Set to Criminalize Much "Verbal" "Abuse" of Under-18-Year-Olds Online
The N.Y. Senate just unanimously passed a bill that would do that.
16-Year-Old Distributed Child Pornography -- by Sending Sex Tape of Herself to Friends
So holds the Maryland Court of Special Appeals, affirming a juvenile court finding of responsibility.
You Don't Need a Local Lawyer to Get a Case Unsealed
Each one of us has the right to access court records, so we can just sue pro se (though it helps to know the legal rules).
"What a Company Decides to Put on Their Vehicle Is a Matter of Free Speech and the Market"
A tiny free speech victory.
Telling Trump to Stop Blocking Critics on Twitter Doesn't Affect the Platform's Rules
The First Amendment constrains speech regulation by the government, not by private parties.
Sealed Case with Sealed Emergency Speech-Restrictive Injunction
How much do you trust judges to make such decisions without public scrutiny?
Criminal Libel Laws Are Constitutional If They're Limited to Deliberate Lies
There's a New Hampshire prosecution for criminal libel of a police chief -- and it may well be legally viable, at least if the defendant's statement is seen as a knowingly false factual claim. [UPDATE, June 8, 2018: Charges have now been dropped.]
SCOTUS May Yet Approve Gay Wedding Cake Demands
Despite its ruling in favor of a Colorado baker, the Court remains hostile to religious exemptions from anti-discrimination laws.
President Trump Apparently Unblocking Twitter Critics, Even While Appealing the Decision
The court decision was just a declaratory judgment, and thus not strictly legally binding.
First Amendment and Off-the-Job Political Speech Criticizing Black Lives Matter Movement and "Thugs"
An interesting opinion from three Georgia Supreme Court Justices.
After Stanford's Niall Ferguson Controversy, Free Speech Conservatives Need to Practice What They Preach
"Slowly, we will continue to crush the Left's will to resist, as they will crack under pressure."
Candidate for Oklahoma Legislature Sues Over Sealed Mystery Libel
A libel lawsuit in which the alleged libel is sealed is like Hamlet without the Prince -- or maybe like Othello with Iago's slanders redacted.
What Does the Masterpiece Cakeshop Decision Say About the Free Speech Claim?
Four Justices opined on this issue, with Justices Thomas and Gorsuch saying that requiring bakers to make cakes for same-sex weddings is an unconstitutional speech compulsion, and Justices Ginsburg and Sotomayor saying the opposite.
Supreme Court Rules for Baker in Gay Wedding Cake Case But Carefully Avoids Central Debate
This 7-2 ruling is more about Colorado's biased enforcement of discrimination law than freedom of expression.
