Social Media
A Surly Showdown for Speaker
Plus: Would Adam Smith be a libertarian if he were alive today?
Under Government Pressure, Twitter Suppressed Truthful Speech About COVID-19
The company's broad definition of "misleading information" and its deference to authority invited censorship by proxy.
Twitter Files Reveal Politicians, Officials Evading the Constitution's Restrictions
People in power lean on private businesses to impose authoritarian policies forbidden to the government.
Yet Another Senator Bungles the First Amendment To Justify Censorship
This week, a clip of Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin claiming that speech that espouses "hate" and "violence" is not protected by the First Amendment made the rounds on Twitter, sparking sharp backlash.
The Supreme Court Weighs the Future of Section 230
The famous internet law is headed for the High Court.
In 2023, People May Finally Be Breaking Their Obsession With Politics
In the mid-'70s, people disengaged from political conflict and took up jogging. Maybe it's time to do the same.
5 New Studies That Challenge Conventional Wisdom About Kids and Tech
A slew of recent research suggests parents should relax a bit about screen time.
Stop Spazzing Out About 'Spaz'
Social media, streaming, and a new era of digital self-censorship
The FBI Paid Twitter $3.4 Million for Processing Requests
The latest Twitter Files installment shows the FBI paid Twitter millions of dollars to cover the costs of processing the agency's requests. Yikes.
Canada Threatens Free Speech in the Guise of Nationalistic Obsessions
Demands by lawmakers and government officials for locally produced content may lead to online censorship.
Twitter Files: The FBI Frequently Flagged Joke Tweets, Asked for Moderation
Maybe the FBI has something better to do with its time?
Elon Musk Kicks Tech Journalists, Mastodon Off Twitter
Plus: Sen. Mike Lee wants to remove First Amendment protections for porn, IRS doxxes taxpayers, and more...
Sifting Through the Twitter Files: Live With Nick Gillespie and Zach Weissmueller
Join Reason on YouTube and Facebook at 1 p.m. Eastern for a live analysis of the internal Twitter documents recently published by Matt Taibbi, Bari Weiss, and Michael Shellenberger.
Bipartisan Bill To Ban TikTok Is Unworkable and Unnecessary
Plus: Justin Amash and Jane Coaston talk about the Libertarian Party, a fatal flaw in anti-vaping studies, and more...
Elon Musk Should Take a Clear Stand Against Censorship by Proxy
The most disturbing aspect of the “Twitter Files” is the platform’s cozy relationship with federal officials who demanded suppression of speech they considered dangerous.
Merchants of Death, Swaps, and Shake-ups
Plus: The editors briefly celebrate a noteworthy shake-up in the Senate.
Twitter Files: FBI, DHS Reported Tweets for Election Misinformation
Content moderators had "weekly confabs" with law enforcement officials, reports Matt Taibbi.
Adam Schiff Attempts Censorship by Proxy, 'Demanding Action' To Suppress 'Hate Speech' on Twitter
Instead of debating whether the platform has been flooded by bigotry, Elon Musk should tell the congressman to mind his own business.
Bari Weiss Twitter Files Reveal Systematic 'Blacklisting' of Disfavored Content
Twitter employees have indicated that shadow banning—at least by some definitions—is both real and common.
Indiana Lawsuit Accuses TikTok of Fraud, Calls the App a 'Chinese Trojan Horse'
The lawsuit alleges that TikTok's algorithm funnels inappropriate content directly to teens. That not only defies logic, but it is also antithetical to how a social media platform keeps users.
Thank You for Donating and Everything You Do for Reason
Including, but not only, supporting us with your hard-earned cash!
Cronyist Journalism Measure Could Prompt Facebook To Ban News
Plus: ACLU sides against religious freedom, abortions after Dobbs, and more...
Rep. Khanna on Twitter, Free Speech, and the Hunter Biden Story
A Democratic member of Congress laments how Twitter handled the New York Post's reporting on Hunter Biden's laptop.
What Twitter's Suppression of the Hunter Biden Laptop Story Tells Us About the Media
Plus: The editors consider a listener question on the involuntary hospitalization of the mentally ill.
New York Forces Websites To Monitor 'Hateful' Speech. A New Lawsuit Says This Violates the First Amendment.
"The state of New York can't turn bloggers into Big Brother, but it's trying to do just that," said FIRE attorney Daniel Ortner.
Elon Musk and Matt Taibbi Reveal Why Twitter Censored the Hunter Biden Laptop Story
The Twitter Files are interesting but contain few true surprises. A mix of incompetence and partisanship got the site in trouble.
Elon Musk Enforces Twitter's Ban on 'Hateful Conduct' As Critics Predict a Flood of Bigotry
The "free speech absolutist" is maintaining some content restrictions while loosening others.
Kanye's Suspension Shows Musk Twitter Might Look a Lot Like…Old Twitter
Plus: Freedom's Furies, SCOTUS to take up student loan forgiveness plan, and more...
Twitter Is More Like a Traveling Circus Than a Public Square
It's a private company. Its owner can do what he chooses, even if it seems crazy.
U.K.'s Awful Internet Bill Becomes a Bit Less Hostile to Free Speech
At a dangerous moment for the free exchange of ideas, civil libertarians can tally a win.
Twitter Quits the Biden Administration's Ham-Handed Crusade Against COVID-19 'Misinformation'
Elon Musk's rescission of the platform's prior policy, which forbade dissent from official guidance, is consistent with his promise of lighter moderation.
China's Lockdown Protests Show Why You Shouldn't Let Government Weaken Encryption, Anonymity
Too many Western governments want to follow in the footsteps of authoritarians when it comes to tech privacy.
Mystified by Mastodon? We're Here To Help.
Mastodon might not be the future of decentralized social media, but it can’t hurt to check it out as Twitter implodes.
Free Speech on Twitter? Not If Europe Has a Say
EU officials threaten to make their restrictive content rules a global standard.
New FTX CEO Describes 'Complete Failure of Corporate Controls' in Scathing Court Filings
Plus: Twitter is alive and well, the U.K. considers unprecedented tax hikes, and more...
Presidents Bush and Obama Mistakenly Think We Need Their Warnings About Disinformation
Thanks, but we lived through the lies of their administrations that they used to sell us war and intrusive government meddling in health care.
Reports of Facebook's Immortality Are Greatly Exaggerated
Critics have said for years that Facebook is a monopoly that can only be killed by federal regulation. Meanwhile, the platform bleeds users, its stock price is plummeting, and it just announced its first-ever round of layoffs.
Impersonators Are Already Running Amok Under New Twitter Rules
Plus: "you can't spoil what's already rotten," inflation stayed high in October, Election 2022 takeaways, and more...
Elon Musk Owns Twitter, So the Rules Are Going To Be Whatever He Wants
If the bird site's new owner wants to protect free speech, he should focus on resisting government requests to remove content.
U.S. Voters Are 'Vulnerable' to 'Foreign Manipulation,' No Matter How Inept, The New York Times Warns
Journalists who sound the alarm about Russian propaganda are unfazed by the lack of evidence that it has a meaningful impact.
This Court Case Could Make It a Crime To Be a Journalist in Texas
Priscilla Villarreal found herself in a jail cell for publishing two routine stories. A federal court still can't decide what to do about that.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Claims Elon Musk Is Targeting Her Twitter Account
Plus: Congress remains too cautious about marijuana, myths about independent contractors, and more...
Reddit Is Not Guilty of Sex Trafficking, Says Court
In a post-FOSTA world, Section 230 still protects websites from lawsuits over criminal sexual conduct by their users.
