48% of Americans Want the Government To Restrict Misinformation on Social Media
The Pew Research Center found that support for censorship is increasing.
Civil Liberties
Governments Love a Media Cartel—As Long as They're in Control
Friday A/V Club: Some people are against concentrated media power. Some just want to bend it to their will.
Does the First Amendment Shield a Government Official From Being Censured by His Colleagues?
The Supreme Court will hear the case this fall.
YouTube Has the Right To Shut Down Rand Paul. That Doesn't Mean It Should.
Big tech platforms should encourage debate, not forbid it.
Is Face Mask Skepticism Beyond the Pale?
A rational debate requires acknowledging both the strengths and the weaknesses of the scientific evidence.
Trademark Confusion Lawsuit Over "ASU: No More Social Distancing. No More Masks. It Is Time to Party!" Posts
ASU loses, even though the defendant “stopped participating in this action after his answer was stricken” “for litigation misconduct”: “[A]a reasonably prudent consumer would not be deceived or confused into believing that ASU was the ‘source or origin’ of the posts and messages emanating from the ‘asu_covid.parties.’”
Challenge to Zoning Restrictions on Shooting Clubs Can Continue
So holds the Third Circuit, applying intermediate scrutiny to a limit on center-fire rifle shooting and to a requirement that clubs be nonprofit.
One America Network's Libel Lawsuit Against Rachel Maddow Rejected by Ninth Circuit
Maddow had said OAN "really literally is paid Russian propaganda," in reaction to a Daily Beast story that an OAN employee had also been freelancing for Sputnik News.
Two Hawaii Gun Regulations Struck Down
The laws require that “individuals purchase a handgun ... within 10 days of obtaining a permit to acquire” (Hawaii law requires such a permit) and that “individuals physically bring their firearm to the police department for in-person inspection and registration within five days of acquiring it.”
D.C. High Court Opines on Injunctions Against Speech About People
The decision raises more questions than it answers, but it does note that there is no general First Amendment exception for speech about "matters of private concern" (i.e., daily life matters unrelated to bigger ideological questions).
Rand Paul's Criticism of Cloth Masks Was Stronger Than the Evidence Justifies
Whether or not YouTube should have suspended him, the senator overlooked the limitations of the studies he cited and ignored countervailing research.
Rep. Devin Nunes' Libel Lawsuit Against the Washington Post Can Proceed
"A reasonable juror could ... conclude that the article was materially false because it stated that Nunes had made ... a baseless claim (when he had not)."
Facebook Oversight Board: "Fucking Chinese" Referring to Chinese Government Not Forbidden by Facebook Rules
"It is crucial to ensure that prohibitions on targeting people based on protected characteristics not be construed in a manner that shields governments or institutions from criticism."
A Black Market in COVID-19 Vaccination Cards Was Inevitable
Mandates, instead of incentives, were always going to drive people away.
The Biden Administration Is Pushing Social Media Platforms To Expand Their Definition of Intolerable COVID-19 'Misinformation'
Online censorship by proxy undermines the ordinary process for checking claims and counterclaims.
California Law Would Limit Free Speech at Vaccination Sites
Plus: Wiretapping social media, Democrats' budget proposal, cryptocurrency regulations, the infrastructure bill, and more..
How a Sneaky Crypto Crackdown Plot Blew Up the Infrastructure Bill
Cryptocurrency advocates fight back against major government overreach.
A Federal Judge Lets a Cruise Line Require Proof of Vaccination, Saying a Florida Law Banning the Practice Is Probably Unconstitutional
Gov. Ron DeSantis' embrace of the law contradicts his avowed commitment to economic freedom.
Fourth Amendment Forbids Handcuffing Driver Just Because He Has Gun + Gun Permit
"Any contrary holding 'would eviscerate Fourth Amendment protections for lawfully armed individuals' by presuming a license expressly permitting possession of a firearm was invalid."
Florida Ban on Private Businesses Requiring Vaccine Verification Likely Violates the First Amendment
So a federal court concludes, in a decision about cruise lines but using reasoning that likely applies to other businesses as well.
Pasco County Cops Harassed Them and Searched Their Homes Without Warrants. A Judge Says They Can Sue.
The sheriff's predictive policing program has caused more problems than it's solved.
Federal Agents Had No Authority To Seize Contents of Safe Deposit Boxes, Newly Unsealed Warrant Confirms
The warrant affidavit made generalized accusations against U.S. Private Vaults' customers but provided no evidence of criminal wrongdoing by individuals whose assets have been seized.
Rubio Bill Would Make Tech Companies Disclose Government Interference
Plus: Congress' gift to Big Tech companies, infrastructure bill costs, and more...
L.A. Council Members Propose Draconian, Unenforceable Vaccine Passports
Los Angeles County is largely vaccinated. This is a punitive, authoritarian performance.
Prosecutors Tried To Seize $57K From This Man's Safe Deposit Box Because He Sold Bongs Without a Permit
After getting called out for a "manifestly inadequate" attempt at establishing probable cause for the seizure, the feds now say they will return Joseph Ruiz' money.
Top Cops Pick the Midst of an International Spying Scandal To Demand Encryption Curbs
Regulating privacy protections would put the public at greater risk than criminals.
A Massachusetts Commission Recommends Long-Overdue Reforms to the 'Worst Civil Forfeiture Laws in the Country'
The commission says the legislature should raise the standard of proof and remove the financial incentive that encourages cops and prosecutors to pursue profit instead of public safety.
Cal. Legislature on Track to Define "Harass" to Mean "Approach to Speak to," and …
to ban such "nonconsensual and knowing approach[es] within 30 feet of another person ... for the purpose of passing a leaflet ..., displaying a sign to, or engaging in oral protest, education, or counseling" "in connection with any vaccination services."
No Qualified Immunity for University of Iowa Officials Who Violated Christian Students' First Amendment Rights
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit provides a useful reminder that qualified immunity is not just for police officers.
Building Your Own Rifle Is the Perfect Family Project
Improve your skills! Bond with the kids! Infuriate control freaks!
Texas Cops Realized They Raided the Wrong House. They Kept Searching Anyway.
Three of the officers were denied qualified immunity, but accountability is a long way off.
Parents Challenging "Anti-Racism" Curriculum Can Litigate Pseudonymously, to Shield Their Children
"The extreme emotions on both sides of this debate make likely the risk of ridicule and mental or physical harm to the parents in this suit—but more concerning—to their minor children."
