Speaking Freely Through the Ages
As long as there have been laws, there have been attempts to silence people.
![book1 | Photo: Uncle Sam rounding up men labeled “Spy,” “Traitor,” “IWW,” “Germ[an] money,” and “Sinn Fein,” with the United States Capitol in the background](https://d2eehagpk5cl65.cloudfront.net/img/c331x186-w331-q60/uploads/2022/03/book1-331x186.jpg)
Free Speech
Town Official Lies, Files Lawsuit When Someone Calls Him a Liar
A town attorney threatened a local activist with a frivolous lawsuit so she would stop criticizing him. She complied, and he sued her anyway.
American Journalism's Most Successful Politician To Step Down From Running The New York Times
Dean Baquet played a leading role in two of modern journalism's turns for the worse.
Business Tax on Freelance Writers Heads to Virginia Supreme Court
Plus: The roots of the housing crisis, the U.S. Supreme Court reconsiders Miranda warnings, a judge halts Kentucky's abortion law, and more...
Freedom Is a Victim of Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
This war, like all wars, will invigorate the state and be deadly to liberty.
Supreme Court on What Counts as a Content-Based Speech Restriction
Today's decision in City of Austin v. Reagan National Advertising makes this test somewhat fuzzier.
When Is It Unethical to Publicly Identify an Anonymous Speaker?
The @LibsOfTikTok controversy brings up this question, though the broader question is an old one.
Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Musk? And Yes, Taxation Is Still Theft.
Plus: A short debate on intellectual property
Why Does Elon Musk's Potential Twitter Takeover Scare the Media So Much?
"I think it's very important for there to be an exclusive arena for free speech," says Musk.
Gatekeepers Very Afraid That Elon Musk Will Remove the Gates From Twitter
$43 billion takeover bid reveals knowledge-class anxieties over free expression
Robert Reich Smears Elon Musk's Vision for Twitter as 'Dangerous Nonsense'
The libertarian vision of an 'uncontrolled' internet is not the dream of dictators.
Anti-Israel Advocacy at University Doesn't Create Illegal "Hostile Environment" for Israeli Citizens or Jews
The same logic, of course, would apply to criticism of other countries and governments, such as China, Russia, the Palestinian government, and more.
Why Johnny Depp Is Suing Amber Heard in Virginia
The Pirates of the Caribbean actor is taking advantage of the state's lax laws that make it easier to file frivolous lawsuits intended to quell speech.
Are Newsletters the Future of Free Speech?
Substack's Hamish McKenzie on censorship, discourse, and Joe Rogan.
Calling Police Officer "Pig," "Terrorist," "Punk Ass," and "Bitch" in Facebook Comments Not Obscene After All
So a federal district court held, reversing an earlier magistrate judge ruling on this point; the court also rejected the view that the Free Press Clause only protects "members of the press."
The New Campaign for a Sex-Free Internet
Sex, money, and the future of online free speech
It's Not 'Bullying' To Satirize a Student Organization
When a college sophomore mocked Young Americans for Freedom for its stance on trans athletes, the conservative group ran to the university to file a complaint.
"Should We Regulate Foreign Speech?"
Some thoughts for me responding to Rick Hasen's, in a Balkinization symposium on Rick's new book, "Cheap Speech: How Disinformation Poisons Our Politics—and How to Cure It"
German States Will Prosecute Speech That Supports the Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Several German states have announced they will prosecute those who publicly display the letter Z in support of Russia.
Fresno Bans Journalists—and Everyone Else—From Filming Cops Clearing Out Homeless Camps
The ACLU of Northern California is suing to overturn the ordinance.
Elon Musk's Twitter Stake Is Promising, but Not a Permanent Fix for Free Speech
Protections for open communication require more than the commitment of a single person.
Viktor Orbán's Reelection Shows Mere Democracy Is Not Enough
The less of our lives we allow to be put to a vote, the better.
Republicans Taking Aim at Disney Is a Reminder That Both Parties Are Hostile to Free Speech
For most of the past decade-plus, those complaining the loudest about corporate participation in politics have been Democrats.
Elon Musk Buys 9.2% of Twitter, Mysteriously Polls Users About State of Free Speech
A regulatory filing indicates that Musk is now the company's largest shareholder.
Now There's a Trademark Issue for You
"They should be paying us for burnishment—not suing us for tarnishment."
Two Illiberal and Unjust Zelensky Policies the West Should Force Him to End
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is leading his nation a just cause. But we should not allow him to impose censorship and emigration bans in the process. A nation fighting for freedom must not undermine it.
Lawyer Gets Harassment Restraining Order Against Ex-Clients Based on (Among Other Things) Online Criticism
No, says the Appeals Court of Massachusetts: "We take this opportunity to reiterate that, where a c. 258E order is sought on the basis of speech alone, the plaintiff must prove that the speech rose to the level of true threats or fighting words and not merely that it was 'harassing, intimidating, or abusive in the colloquial sense.'"
A Federal Judge Says a Victim of Retaliatory Prosecution Can Sue a Cop Who Treated Criticism As a Crime
An Arkansas police officer used trumped-up charges to punish a man who criticized him for violating the Constitution.
