Civil Liberties
Good Batch of Recent Submissions to Journal of Free Speech Law -- but We're Looking for More
And we can publish them much more quickly than most major law reviews would.
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Wrongfully Jailed Children for Months, New Lawsuit Alleges
"Sometimes I even feel like they wanted me in there, because I was in there so long," said one 18-year-old who was wrongfully incarcerated for 166 days.
Project Veritas, Exposer of Secrets, Successfully Seals Its Own, Gets Injunction Against Disclosure
"Respondent voluntarily resigned his position with Petitioner and allegedly embarked on a career as an adult film actor and standup comedian."
Alec Baldwin Shouldn't Spend 5 Years in Prison for an Accident
The actor is a polarizing figure. That shouldn't matter when evaluating the criminal case against him.
A 'Red Flag' Study Raises the Question of How Often People Who Talk About Mass Shootings Actually Commit Them
The researchers identified 662 cases involving threats to multiple victims, but they concede that it's likely "there are many more threats than completed events."
Judge Rules DeSantis Violated First Amendment by Ousting Reform Prosecutor but Declines To Reinstate Him
"In short, the controlling motivations for the suspension were the interest in bringing down a reform prosecutor," the judge wrote.
How Can Businesses Comply With Virginia's Proposal To Protect Children's Data? The Bill Doesn't Say.
Virginia’s children’s privacy proposal leaves businesses wondering how they can comply.
Arizona-Led Effort Spies on Americans' Financial Transactions
Thousands of local, state, and federal law-enforcers have access to sensitive financial data.
Florida Legislature May Impose Penalties on Local Legislators Who Illegally Impose Gun Control Laws
So the Florida Supreme Court held today.
A Federal Judge Says the DOJ's Sex Offender Registration Rules Violate Due Process by Requiring the Impossible
Justice Department regulations threaten people with prosecution for failing to register even when their state no longer requires it.
Mississippi Bill Would Mandate Surveillance Cameras in Schools and Colleges
Eliminating privacy in schools would be a disaster for academic freedom and social development.
Amicus Brief as to § 230(c)(1) in Gonzalez v. Google
(Note that this case is about immunity when Internet platforms provide access to material, not the separate question about immunity when Internet platforms block access to material.)
North Dakota Legislators Consider Bill To Ban 'Sexually Explicit' Material From Public Libraries
"If you don't like a book, don't read it. The First Amendment's guarantee of the freedom of speech and the right to access information has created a beautiful marketplace of ideas in our country," said one ACLU representative opposing the bill.
When Does an Ugly Facebook Message Qualify as an Illegal 'True Threat' of Violence? SCOTUS Will Decide.
The Supreme Court takes up “true threats” and the First Amendment in Counterman v. Colorado.
No Sealing or Pseudonymization of Opinion Related to Lawyer Discipline
The lawyer's "personal interest in avoiding the 'reputational harm' that she might suffer if the public were made aware of the 'very serious allegations here'" "cannot meet the 'weighty' standard for overriding the presumptions of open records and public access."
Inside the CDC's Campaign To Police COVID Speech
Plus: FOSTA in court, challenges to Illinois' assault weapon ban, and more...
Emails Show CDC Policed COVID Speech on Facebook. Live with Robby Soave, Nick Gillespie, and Zach Weissmueller
Join Reason on YouTube and Facebook on Thursday at 1 p.m. ET for a discussion of the Facebook Files with Robby Soave.
Inside the Facebook Files: Emails Reveal the CDC's Role in Silencing COVID-19 Dissent
Throughout the pandemic, the CDC was in constant contact with Facebook, vetting what users were allowed to say on the social media site.
How the CDC Became the Speech Police
Secret internal Facebook emails reveal the feds' campaign to pressure social media companies into banning COVID "misinformation."
San Francisco Sits on Carry Permit Applications As Legislators Consider New Gun Restrictions
The city has not granted a single permit since the Supreme Court upheld the right to bear arms last June.
She Lost Her Job For Showing a Painting of Muhammad in Class. Now, She's Suing.
"Hamline subjected López Prater to the foregoing adverse actions because . . . she did not conform her conduct to the specific beliefs of a Muslim sect," the lawsuit states.
Actually, the CCP Is the Worst Co-Parent Imaginable
An op-ed in The New York Times tries to make the case that the Chinese Communist Party is a worthy partner in raising children.
Appeals Court Panel Seems Skeptical That FOSTA Doesn't Violate the First Amendment
The 2018 law criminalizes websites that "promote or facilitate" prostitution. Two of three judges on the panel pushed back against government claims that this doesn't criminalize speech.
Davos Elites Warn That Disinformation Is an Existential Threat to Their Influence
At the World Economic Forum, Brian Stelter and panelists discuss why everything is Facebook's fault.
The Hazards of Holding YouTube Liable for Promoting Terrorism
A Supreme Court case illustrates the potential costs of making it easier to sue social media platforms over user-generated content.
Yet Another Shady, Hypocritical Document Hoarder
Plus: The editors field a listener question on college admissions and affirmative action.
Britain Wants To Jail Social Media Managers Who Don't Censor to the Government's Liking
Tech firm operators may face criminal charges if children who use their platforms encounter too much “harmful content.”
Should "Loopholing" Be Protected By Qualified Immunity?
an argument about post-Bruen gun legislation from Robert Leider.
A Federal Judge Blocks New Jersey's Sweeping Restrictions on Public Gun Possession
By banning firearms from a wide range of "sensitive places," the state effectively nullified the right to bear arms.
Jacob Mchangama: "Privileging Blasphemy Norms Over Open Inquiry Plays Into the Hands of Religious Fundamentalists"
A broader perspective on the Hamline controversy.
Google's Brief to the Supreme Court Explains Why We Need Section 230
There's a good reason why algorithms are still protected by Section 230.
A Politically Split Congress Can Perhaps Fuel Federal Surveillance Reforms
Part of a law that authorizes warrantless snooping is about to expire, opening up a opportunity to better protect our privacy rights.
"[H]ere Come Your Masser" Remark to Neighbor Leads to Anti-"Harassment" Order (on "Hate Speech" Theory) …
but the Michigan Court of Appeals reverses.
Prattle, a Shakespearean Version of Wordle, Won't Let You Guess 'Slave'
"This anti-free speech, anti-intellectual, anti-common-sense action deserves all the scorn it can get," says Roy Thomas, former editor in chief of Marvel Comics.
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences: Barbara Streisand, Sesame Seeds, Golden Goal (Vol. 10)
Good intentions, bad results
