Does the First Amendment Protect a Presumptive Right to Access Criminal Court Records?
The Colorado Supreme Court said "no" -- eleven federal circuits and many state high courts say "yes" -- the Supreme Court is being asked to review the case.
Free Speech
9 Months in Prison for Forging Court Orders Aimed at Vanishing Online Material
"Arnstein ... submitted the counterfeit orders, which appeared to be valid on their face, to Google and requested that Google de-index the websites containing the purportedly defamatory information."
Teacher Disciplined for "Bullying" Student Who Had Put Up a Swastika
More than a year later, an arbitrator held the discipline was largely (though not entirely) improper.
Secret Gag Order on Lawyers in Ohio Capital Murder Trial—Supported by Secret Arguments
Kind of like with the turtles, it's seals all the way down. [UPDATE: The local publicity appears to have led the court to unseal the gag order -- so now we know what people aren't allowed to talk about, though they're still not allowed to talk about it.]
Trump Beat Stormy Daniels' Defamation Claim With a Law Aimed at Rich Bullies Like Him
The president, who routinely threatens to sue people for saying things he does not like, deployed an anti-SLAPP law in his own defense.
Facebook Slams Independent Voices With Latest Political Purge
It's time to move beyond the social media giants to a more decentralized world that's harder to control
After Police Detention for National Anthem Disrespect, Chinese Online Star Admits She 'Hurt Your Feelings'
Under Chinese law, disrespecting the national anthem is punishable by up to 15 days in jail.
Don't Take Too Much Comfort From Surveys Showing Widespread Opposition to "Political Correctness"
Many who oppose "political correctness" also support a variety of specific types of censorship.
Libertarian and Police Accountability Pages Deleted in Facebook Purge
Hundreds of pages and accounts have been purged over accusations that they were "inauthentic." The page operators disagree.
Writer Stephen Elliott Sues Over 'Shitty Media Men' Spreadsheet: Reason Roundup
Plus: libertarian accounts purged from Facebook?
Jamal Khashoggi Disappearance Doesn't Seem to Faze White House: Reason Roundup
Plus: Kavanaugh and Gorsuch differ during immigration case.
"Little State Weasel" and the First Amendment
An interesting dissent from denial of review by Texas's high court for criminal cases.
U.K.'s Top Court Sides with Baker in Gay Cake Case
No, a baker cannot be compelled to "support gay marriage" with frosting.
Partisans United Against Free Speech
The culture of free speech has been deteriorating for long enough that politics, sadly and predictably, is catching up.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Free Speech Warrior?
The former president of Iran, who once banned Twitter, discovers the joys of social media.
Facebook Hack Another Warning Sign Against Online Centralization
The bigger the company, the bigger the target.
Sugar Babies, Sexual Assault Claims, Takedown Demands, and Microaggressions
All together, in a Minnesota Court of Appeals decision handed down today.
Did Saudi Arabia Murder This Expat Journalist for Criticizing the Government?
Jamal Khashoggi visited the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul last week. He hasn't been seen since.
Woman Alleges Police Demanded She Remove Anti-Kavanaugh Sign
The Hamilton, Texas City Manager, claims the police didn't threaten her or forcibly remove the sign, but that "a police member visited the owner's home, and the owner asked the officer to take the sign."
Pro-Marijuana Activist Banned from Part of State Capitol for Quoting Racist Rationales for Marijuana Ban
Friday, a federal district judge issued an injunction against the ban.
Public Transit Can't Ban "Disparaging" Ads
So the Ninth Circuit held, applying the reasoning from the Slants case (Matal v. Tam).
Do Laws Requiring People to Report Crimes Violate the First Amendment?
The logic of a recent Second Circuit decision suggests that they do.
The Marine Le Pen Case Shows That Supposedly Enlightened France Treats Political Speech As a Crime and a Symptom of Mental Illness
The right-wing politician faces prosecution and psychiatric examination for posting pictures of ISIS atrocities.
Texas Attorney General Ignores 75 Years of Supreme Court Rulings Trying to Force a Student to Stand for the Pledge
The irony is that she's protesting authoritarian police behavior.
Minnesota Star Tribune Seeking to Unseal Rep. Keith Ellison's Divorce Records
A conservative publication had already filed such a motion; Ellison is the candidate for Minnesota Attorney General, and Deputy Chair of the Democratic National Committee.
Twitter Implementing European-Style Hate Speech Bans
Will it stop toxic behavior or just encourage more demands for censorship?
Criminal Libel Prosecution -- Under a Statute Struck Down 30 Years Before
A woman's case against the defendants who arranged the prosecution (a police department captain, who was her ex-husband and the target of her speech, and his friend who was a police investigator) can go forward.
Faisal Al Mutar Fights Radical Islam with Western Bestsellers
The head of Ideas Beyond Borders is translating books by Steven Pinker, Sam Harris, and others into Arabic and distributing them for free.
Birth Mother Ordered Not to Post Photo of Deceased Adopted Child
When she did post such a photo, she was arrested and prosecuted -- a remarkable case from two years ago, which I just learned about.
Government Boycotts Based on Companies' (and Their Employees') Speech
More on their unconstitutionality.
No, Government Boycotts of Nike Aren't Constitutional
The government may not discriminate against businesses because of the political views the business (or its spokesman) has expressed.
Twitter Should Punish Marco Rubio for Doxing a Miami Steakhouse Owner
Inviting followers to harass this man violates the platform's terms of service.
Brett Kavanaugh Fans Try to Attack His Accuser, Go After the Wrong Christine Ford
The perils of poorly sourced stories
"The Schoolhouse Gate": The Unpopularity of Free Speech in Public Schools
The Supreme Court's decision in Tinker is viewed as the high-water mark for students' First Amendment rights, but Justice Black's strident dissent-not the majority-spoke for most Americans at the time.
E.U. Passes Censorship-Inducing Online Copyright Regulations
Online platforms will be subjected to a costly, easily-abused system that will likely pull down legal content.
In Constitution Day Speech, Betsy DeVos Says 'Government Muscle' Is Not the Answer to the Campus Free Speech Problem
"Solutions won't come from new laws from Washington, D.C., or from a speech police at the U.S. Department of Education."
Debate: Bakers Should Not Be Forced To Produce Cakes for Same-Sex Weddings
How should we feel about conscience-based discrimination?
British Lawmaker Wants to Ban Your Private Facebook Groups Because She Worries You're Using Hate Speech
Bill also calls for holding forum moderators legally liable for extreme speech.
California Ban on Handgun Ads at Gun Stores Violates First Amendment
So a federal judge just held.
ThinkProgress Accuses Facebook of Censorship After Conservative Factchecker Correctly Points Out an Error
"Brett Kavanaugh said he would kill Roe v. Wade last week." Except he didn't.
Then-Candidate Trump's Speech at Rally Wasn't Constitutionally Unprotected "Incitement" of Violence Against Protesters
So a Sixth Circuit panel just held, and it also concluded that the statements weren't actionable under Kentucky law.
