The Anti-Porn Crusade Comes for Online Games
Activists pressure payment processors, who in turn pressure game marketplaces. The result? A whole lot of video games and visual novels are disappearing.
Free Speech
Arkansas Ban on Youth Gender Transition Procedures Upheld, Including Restriction on Referrals for Such Procedures
But the restriction appears to cover only referrals for illegal in-state procedures, and not referrals for legal out-of-state procedures.
Lower Crime Hasn't Stopped Gun Control Push
Plus: The National Guard deployed to D.C., the Trump-Putin meeting on Ukraine, Texas Democrats flee the state, and a listener question on free speech in the U.K.
Mocking Elected Officials Is a Sign of a Healthy Democracy
Thin-skinned MAGA can dish it out, but can't take mockery.
Delaware Agency Sues Homeowners Because They Sued Allegedly Disabled Neighbors Over Nonconforming Fence
No, says a Delaware judge: "Civil rights statutes" "do not eclipse the constitutional protections of the right to petition the government."
Religious Hiring and Expressive Association
Does the First Amendment freedom of expressive association protect religious hiring?
A First Amendment Lawsuit Highlights the Chilling Impact of Speech-Based Deportation on Student Journalists
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression is seeking an injunction that would protect noncitizens at The Stanford Daily from arrest and removal because of their published work.
10 Examples of Absurd Fallout From the U.K.'s Online Safety Act
The measure is putting up roadblocks for people who want to read about world news, listen to music on Spotify, chat on Discord, play video games, find information about quitting smoking, or join antimasturbation groups.
TRO Orders Removal of Allegations of DMCA Takedown Fraud and of Forged Court Order Submission—but …
... there had seemingly indeed been suspicious DMCA takedown requests targeting criticism of plaintiffs, though it's not clear whether they were submitted with the plaintiffs' approval.
Court Rejects Subpoena Request from Turkey Seeking Records on Gülen Movement Member, Allegedly for Turkish Financial Crime Prosecution
"[T]he sheer breadth of the discovery sought in Türkiye's Application, considered in light of the colorable allegations of political motivation presented in support of Turkyolu's motion, weighs heavily against the Application at this time."
St. Louis Fan Removal for MAGA Hat Ignites Debate Over Free Speech
Michael Weitzel was ejected for violating the club’s fan code of conduct, which prohibits “threatening, abusive, or discriminatory" symbols and language.
TRO Against Alleged Defamation, and Also Banning "Harassing Conduct"
Plaintiff alleges Defendant engaged in "a coordinated online campaign making false statements," such as "accusing Plaintiff of design/invention theft, racism, ... and encouraging the public to report Plaintiff's online shopping platforms on sites like Etsy, Shopify, and TikTok as fraudulent and/or ... [as] selling counterfeit goods.'"
Russian Opera Singer Anna Netrebko's National Origin Discrimination Lawsuit Over Firing by N.Y. Metropolitan Opera Can Go Forward
So a federal judge held Tuesday, reversing its contrary decision from last year.
Montreal Fines Church $2,500 for Hosting a Controversial American Singer
Christian artist Sean Feucht has been forced to find new venues for all six of his most recent shows in Canada.
The U.K. Keeps Threatening To Censor American Tech Companies
X has begun restricting content related to Gaza for its U.K. users, and Reddit has implemented age-verification measures to view posts about cigars.
Safe Spaces Are Coming Back to Brown University—All Thanks to Trump
The campus' settlement with the federal government is bound to create free speech headaches.
"If Doe Wishes to Use Judicial Proceedings" "to Seek Relief from … Defamat[ion],"
"he must do so under his true name and accept the risk that certain unflattering details may come to light over the course of the litigation."
You Shouldn't Need a License to Talk
Occupational licensing can be useless, harmful—and even a threat to free speech.
Canada Seeks To Jail Freedom Convoy Organizers for 8 Years
Too many government officials see dissent as the worst crime imaginable.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr's Meddling in Broadcast Journalism Contradicts His Own Avowed Views
As a minority FCC member during the Bush administration, Carr condemned government interference with newsroom decisions.
The ACLU Says a New York Official Violated the NRA's First Amendment Rights. They Still Can't Sue Her.
A federal court concluded the official was entitled to qualified immunity in a case that united two unlikely allies.
"Plaintiff's Complaint Is Focused on Discrimination Related to Positionality Across Multiple Marginalized and Vulnerable Communities"
Not enough to get pseudonymity for plaintiff's employment discrimination claim, at least in S.D. Tex.
South Park Is Saving Free Speech!
Plus: Trump’s "woke AI" order, Gawker’s cultural legacy, and a listener question on deregulation and the BBB.
10 Years in Prison for Selling a T-Shirt of a Hugo Chávez Statue Getting Smashed
Two Venezuelan women were convicted of incitement to hatred, treason, and terrorism.
The FCC's Paramount/Skydance Decision Aims To Reshape Broadcast Journalism by Bureaucratic Fiat
Chairman Brendan Carr thinks his agency should strive to ensure that news coverage is fair and balanced—a role precluded by the First Amendment.
X's Win in Federal Court Is a Victory for Free Speech and Open Disclosure
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has placed minor restraints on the government’s ability to impose gag orders on secret subpoenas issued to tech companies.
Famine in Gaza
Plus: The Columbia settlement as a "blueprint" for going after other universities, South Park lampoons Trump, and more...
This Bill Would Fine Social Media Companies $5 Million Every Day for Not Fighting 'Terrorism'
The STOP HATE Act wants social media platforms to report their moderation policies and outcomes to the government. And it’s not the only censorial measure Rep. Josh Gottheimer wants.
The Feds Roll Back Their Influence Over NPR Only To Claim Greater Influence Over TikTok
Politicians' interest in controlling the content you see shifts from public media to social media.
Meet Stephen Colbert's Biggest Fans: Congressional Democrats
When even Keith Olbermann is providing a much-needed sanity check, it says something.
