The First Amendment Protects Everyone, Even Facebook and Twitter
Florida passed a law to stop big tech “censorship.” But the law itself tramples First Amendment rights.
Social Media
Government Regulation of Social Media Won't Protect Free Speech
Sen. Amy Klobuchar wants to put HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, the former California attorney general with a reputation for being a partisan hack, in charge of "health disinformation" online.
Let's Not Have a Bunch of Posturing Politicians Decide How Online Algorithms Should Work
The latest bill to “fight big tech” could turn your online experience into a miserable slog.
Are Kids Stealing Because TikTok Made It Seem Cool, or Is the 'Devious Licks' Freakout Yet Another Adult-Led Moral Panic?
TikTok's "devious licks" trend has earned the company and its teen users plenty of scorn. But what's actually going on?
Welcome to the Metaverse
Facebook's rebrand signals that the widely scrutinized company retains lofty ambitions.
If You Think Facebook Is Full of Dubious Outrage-Bait, Wait Til You See the Company's Critics
A business model where outrage is exploited for clicks describes both social media and the news media.
The U.S. May Stand Alone as a Haven for Free Speech
The First Amendment shields Americans from censorship, but authoritarian legislation in Britain and Canada warns of what could be in store if that protection fails.
The Facebook Papers Are a Big Fat Nothingburger
The mainstream media's fear of Mark Zuckerberg is not supported by the documents.
Whistleblower Absurdly Attacks Facebook's Privacy-Protecting Encryption Efforts
When "protecting users' safety" actually means the opposite
Appeals Court Rules Social Media Companies Not Liable for Pulse Nightclub Shooter's Radicalization
"The plaintiffs failed to make out a plausible claim that the Pulse massacre was an act of 'international terrorism' as that term is defined in the ATA."
Restrictive Zoning Laws Worsened the Supply Chain Crisis
Plus: America's crackdown on Big Tech gives cover to Russia's crackdown on Big Tech, high inflation likely to continue into next year, and more...
Social Media Isn't To Blame for the Deadly Stabbing of a British Member of Parliament
Attempts by British lawmakers to erase online anonymity would lead to radical speech being pushed underground.
Facebook's Blacklists Are Another Way To Constrain Competition
Upstart competitors can’t hope to match the resources required to compile a list of banned individuals and organizations.
Facebook Welcomes Regulations, Specifically Those That Hurt Its Competition
Tech giants expressing openness to amending Section 230 are doing so out of naked self-interest, not the goodness of their hearts.
Ted Henken on How Internet Access Is Changing Cuba
"A key part of the control in Cuba is keeping people afraid, keeping them isolated from one another," says Henken. The internet has mitigated this.
The New York Times Spreads Misinformation About COVID-19
Patiently waiting for senators and whistleblowers to freak out over this
Instagram's Effect on Teens Gives Congress the Latest Pretext To Put Tech on Trial
Plus: California can't limit private prisons, Yellen dismisses bank privacy concerns, and more...
AOC Uses Facebook Outage To Make the (Unrelated) Case for Antitrust
"Maybe one billionaire with a penchant for destroying democracies shouldn’t be allowed to own so much of the internet," says the representative from New York.
As Facebook Crumbles, the Case for Breaking It Up Is Weaker Than Ever
The site is clearly in trouble and the government doesn't need to step in.
Richard Blumenthal Pressures Facebook To End Finsta, Has No Idea What That Is
"We don't actually do finsta," Antigone Davis, Facebook's head of security, explained.
Karla Vermeulen: Inside the Mind of 'Generation Disaster'
Young people who came of age after 9/11 aren't snowflakes despite being exposed to a series of catastrophic events and apocalyptic news narratives.
CNN Shuts Down Access to Facebook Pages in Australia After Court Ruling Holding Media Outlets Liable for Commenters
This is where government demands to moderate what users say will ultimately lead.
Report: Facebook, Twitter Still Not Responsible for Radicalizing People
Political polarization drives social media use, rather than the other way around.
People Have Been Panicking About New Media Since Before the Printing Press
Politicians and activists claim social media is turning us into zombies. But new technologies have been greeted with skepticism since the dawn of time.
The Texas Social Media Law Is Blatantly Unconstitutional
Government restrictions on private editorial discretion violate the First Amendment.
Everybody Is Wrong About Big Tech
Robby Soave doesn't like it when social media deplatforms users, but the far bigger threat comes from lawmakers on a mission.
ACLU Issues Weak Apology for Erasing 'Women' From RBG Abortion Quote
"It was a mistake among the digital team," says executive director Anthony Romero.
Viral Video of White Woman Allegedly Telling Black Couple To 'Stay in Your Hood' Was Recorded by a Known Fabulist
Emma Sarley's employer might come to regret instantly firing her.
Judge Explains First Amendment Basics to Wisconsin Sheriff Who Threatened Teen with Jail for Instagramming Her COVID Infection
No, law enforcement and school officials cannot order students to remove posts about exposure to the coronavirus.
The New York Times Is Wrong About the 'Myth of Big Tech Competence'
Still, Facebook should not have allowed its VIPs to flout the rules it claimed applied to everyone.
A Win for Devin Nunes in Lawsuit Over Journalist Ryan Lizza's Tweet
Plus: "The endless catastrophe of Rikers Island," studies link luxury rentals and affordable housing, and more...
FEC: Twitter Blocking the Hunter Biden Story Wasn't Election Interference
Maryland satire paper threatened over "OlneyFans" article, big tech companies "on the butcher's table," and more...
Australia's Highest Court Holds Media Outlets Financially Liable for Trolls and Shitposters
Here’s why Section 230 is so important.
Trolls Will Be Trolls, Online and Offline, Reports New Study
Being jerks is just the way some people try to make themselves feel dominant.
Backpage Defense Lawyers Call for Mistrial After 'Inflammatory' Opening Statements
The defendants are not on trial for child sex trafficking, yet prosecutor Reggie Jones wouldn't stop talking about it.
Here's Why Twitter Briefly Suspended J.D. Vance's Campaign Account
Hint: It wasn't Big Tech censorship.
Reddit's Messy Fight Over COVID Misinformation
Denizens of the popular online forum protested the spread of COVID misinformation, but the company rightly wouldn't cave to their demands. It still cracked down on 55 subreddits in the end.
Texas Abortion and Social Media Laws Are a 'Contradictory Mess'
Plus: More bad news for free speech online, Fauci on booster shots, and more...
As Twitter Sex Trafficking Case Proceeds, Platforms Face an Impossible Dilemma
A federal judge says an anti-porn group's suit against Twitter can move forward, in a case that could portend a dangerous expansion of how courts define "sex trafficking."
Banning Alex Berenson From Twitter Is a Mistake
"The pandemic's wrongest man" can likely profit from martyrdom.
TikTok 'Hatescape' Hype Ignores Important Details
A new analysis reportedly showing a huge proportion of TikTok content is racist tells us nothing about the overall prevalence of extremist and bigoted content on the app.
Since Platform-by-Platform Censorship Doesn't Work, These Researchers Think, the Government Should Help 'Halt the Spread of Misinformation'
Their study found that Twitter's efforts to police Donald Trump's false election fraud claims were ineffective and may even have backfired.
The Taliban Is No Excuse To Crack Down On Secure Tech
Breaking encryption technologies always makes us less safe, no matter what the justification.
48% of Americans Want the Government To Restrict Misinformation on Social Media
The Pew Research Center found that support for censorship is increasing.
Why OnlyFans Is Double-Crossing Sex Workers
Plus: FTC revives antitrust suit against Facebook, Planned Parenthood pushes back against Montana abortion laws, and more...
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.
