Judges Block Indiana and Mississippi Age Verification Laws for Porn, Social Media
And the Supreme Court agrees to weigh in.
Civil Liberties
Injunction Ordering Citizens Not to Mention Coroner in Online Posts (and Barring Them From Possessing Weapons)
An Ohio trial court issued the injunction, but the Ohio Court of Appeals has just set it aside.
Two SCOTUS Cases Show How an Unaccountable Administrative State Hurts 'Ordinary People'
Contrary to progressive criticism, curtailing bureaucratic power is not about protecting "the wealthy and powerful."
Free Speech Unmuted: Moody v. Netchoice and Murthy v. Missouri
Jane Bambauer and I quickly run down what happened in these two cases (both of which involved First Amendment challenges and social media).
A Law Professor's Beef With a First Amendment 'Spinning Out of Control': Too Much Speech of the Wrong Sort
Even as he praises judicial decisions that made room for "dissenters" and protected "robust political debate," Tim Wu pushes sweeping rationales for censorship.
The Supreme Court Didn't Destroy the Regulatory State. It Stood Up for Due Process.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson says these cases will "devastate" the regulatory state. Good.
Federal Judge, ICE Agents Linked to Compromised Spyware Use
The surveillance company mSpy just suffered its third data breach in a decade, exposing government officials snooping for both official and unofficial reasons.
Justice Thomas Argues the Court Should at Some Point Consider Whether "Assault Weapons" Bans Violate Second Amendment
Justice Alito takes a similar view, but, at least in this case, this view didn't get the four votes necessary to grant review.
Gorsuch Apes NIMBY Government Lies in Supreme Court's Grants Pass Decision
Plus: A disappointing first round of "Baby YIMBY" grant awards, President Joe Biden endorses rent control, and House Republicans propose cutting housing spending.
Justices Thomas and Gorsuch Argue Court Should Review Scope of 47 U.S.C. § 230 Immunity
But, at least in this case, this view didn't get the four votes necessary to grant review.
Ohio S. Ct. Vacates Order Sealing Documents at Defendant's Behest in Alleged Child Rape Case
The defendant had alleged that he, his family, and his lawyer had been threatened by the public, but the Ohio Supreme Court concluded that the trial court wasn't given adequate evidence to justify sealing.
Sacramento Cops Shared License Plate Data With Anti-Abortion States
And a grand jury says that's illegal.
Social Media Moderation Is Speech, Says Supreme Court
The Court is remanding these two cases for more analysis—but it made its views on some key issues clear.
The TikTok Ban Is a Blueprint for More Social Media Censorship
China's free speech record is bad, but the federal government's isn't so great either.
Biden Fumbled the Ball on Abortion
Abortion should have been an easy win for Biden, but his incoherent answer during Thursday's debate allowed Trump to come out on top.
SCOTUS Repudiates Doctrine That Gave Agencies a License To Invent Their Own Authority
The Court says Chevron deference allows bureaucrats to usurp a judicial function, creating "an eternal fog of uncertainty" about what the law allows or requires.
Why Are Liberals Suddenly Denouncing the Right to a Jury Trial?
Justice Sonia Sotomayor called the Supreme Court ruling in SEC v. Jarkesy "a power grab." She's right, but in the wrong way.
Be Wary of the Department of Homeland Security's AI Ambitions
Americans shouldn’t count on the department to use the technology responsibly or in a limited way.
Julian Assange's Freedom Came at a Steep Price
Assange's plea deal sets a threatening precedent for free speech and journalism.
SCOTUS Rules SEC's In-House Handling of Securities Fraud Cases Violates the Right to Trial by Jury
The decision rejects a system in which the agency imposes civil penalties after investigating people and validating its own allegations.
SCOTUS Allows Emergency Abortions in Idaho
The decision reverses the Court's previous stay of a lower court decision blocking part of the law.
Baltimore Brings Back Controversial Cellphone Hacking System
A year after a court told Maryland police that Cellebrite searches were too broad, Baltimore quietly resumed using the software.
He Faced a Terrorism Probe, Went to Jail on a Gun Charge, and Now Is Charged With Drug Possession
Although the FBI never produced evidence that Ali Hemani was a threat to national security, it seems determined to imprison him by any means necessary.
Second Amendment Roundup: Rahimi Preserves Bruen
The real dissents are the concurrences by Justices Sotomayor and Jackson.
The Supreme Court's Dangerous Standing Ruling in Murthy v. Missouri
The standing requirements laid down by the majority might make it extremely difficult or impossible for victims of indirect goverment censorship to get their cases to court.
SCOTUS Declines To Punish the Feds for Suppressing Social Media Speech
The verdict in Murthy v. Missouri is a big, flashing green light that jawboning may resume.
Billboard Comparing Trump to Fidel Castro Removed After Politician Complained
It's a classic case of jawboning.
'I Don't Support Mandates From Government': John Stossel Interviews Libertarian Presidential Nominee Chase Oliver
The candidate makes the case against the two-party system.
A Government Veto on Speech at the Supreme Court
Murthy v. Missouri challenges government efforts to suppress dissenting viewpoints on social media.
Has SCOTUS Replaced One Kind of Unbridled Discretion With Another in Second Amendment Cases?
Although critics say the Court’s current approach is unworkable, it has been undeniably effective at defeating constitutionally dubious gun regulations.
The Supreme Court Isn't as Radical as You Think
There is a great deal of panic surrounding the "extreme" nature of the current Court. But that is often not based in reality.
If Pseudonyms, Then What Kind? How About "Doe WHBE 3"?
Should pseudonymous litigants, and any precedents set in their cases, be known by the initials of the law firms that represent them?
Jay Bhattacharya on COVID, Social Media Censorship, and Trump vs. Biden
"It’s not like public health is infallible," the Stanford professor and Great Barrington Declaration author tells Reason's Nick Gillespie.
