A First Amendment Right Not To Use AI for Evil?
Anthropic sues the federal government—and kicks off a debate about free speech for artificial intelligence systems.
First Amendment
The Federal Government's Crusade Against Anthropic Raises First Amendment Concerns
Trump administration officials openly seek to punish the AI company for its corporate philosophy.
Florida Legislators Advance a Bill Authorizing Government Surveillance Based on 'Views' or 'Opinions'
House and Senate committees were unfazed by the obvious First Amendment problems with the proposed Statewide Counterintelligence and Counterterrorism Unit.
Iowa Officials Arrested This Guy for Criticizing Them—Twice. A Federal Judge Says They Are Liable.
A mayor and a police chief "mistook their authority to maintain order for a license to suppress criticism," says U.S. District Judge Stephanie Rose.
The Government Wants Your Posts Before It Grants You Papers
The Trump administration will start collecting social media account information on immigration forms.
Trump's Blatantly Unconstitutional Attempt To Punish His Congressional Critics Hits 2 Roadblocks
A grand jury and a federal judge rejected the president’s vendetta against legislators who produced a video about the duty to refuse unlawful military orders.
Trump's $10 Billion Lawsuit Against the BBC
A federal judge has set the date for the president's push to punish a news organization he dislikes, again.
A Federal Judge Explains Why Trump Can't Jail Legislators for Producing a Video That Offended Him
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon notes that Sen. Mark Kelly's comments about unlawful military orders were "unquestionably protected" by the First Amendment.
The Feds Used Threats To Silence Their ICE-Tracking Speech. Now They're Fighting Back.
A lawsuit argues that Pam Bondi and Kristi Noem coerced Apple and Meta to censor two popular ICE-monitoring tools, which violates Americans' right to freedom of expression.
Oral Testimony at the House Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing on the "Preserving a Sharia-Free America Act"
It was notable that the GOP members and witnesses made little effort to actually defend the legislation in question.
A Grand Jury Rejects Trump's Attempt To Prosecute 6 Legislators for Saying Something He Did Not Like
The president was offended by a video reminding military personnel of their duty to disobey unlawful orders.
An Immigration Judge Finds No Legal Basis To Deport a Student Arrested for an Op-Ed
Rumeysa Ozturk is one of several international students targeted by the Trump administration's speech-based deportation policy.
My House Judiciary Subcommittee Testimony Against the "Preserving a Sharia-Free America Act"
I will be testifying against this proposed legislation - which would authorize exclusion or deportation of all or most non-citizen Muslim immigrants.
A First Amendment Lawsuit Challenges FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson's Vendetta Against NewsGuard
The commission has targeted the news rating company with onerous record demands and a merger condition aimed at cutting off its revenue.
Don Lemon May Be a Hack, but That Does Not Make Him a Felon
The federal case against the former CNN anchor hinges on conduct that can plausibly be viewed as part of a journalist's work, combined with the obvious partiality of that work.
Don Lemon's Arrest Looks Like an Assault on Freedom of the Press
A federal indictment accuses him and another journalist of conspiring with protesters who disrupted a St. Paul church service.
Group Chats About ICE Whereabouts Are Protected Speech. The FBI Is Investigating Anyway.
FBI Director Kash Patel pays lip service to the First and Second Amendments while casting suspicion on people who exercise their First or Second Amendment rights.
Gregory Bovino's Legacy: Lies, Violence, and Unchecked Federal Power
Although Bovino is gone, immigration officials will continue to disregard rights and the rule of law under President Donald Trump.
Landmark Social Media Addiction Trial Starts Today in California
In the first social media addiction case to reach a jury, K.G.M. claims TikTok, YouTube, and other platforms are responsible for her depression, anxiety, and poor self esteem.
Embarrassed by Leaks, Feds Raid Washington Post Journalist's Home
Agents seized devices and data but already had what they needed to prosecute the leaker.
The Trump Administration Is Lying About Gun Rights and the Death of Alex Pretti
"Carrying a firearm is not a death sentence, it's a Constitutionally protected God-given right," writes Rep. Thomas Massie (R–Ky.).
ICE Tells Legal Observer, 'We Have a Nice Little Database, and Now You're Considered a Domestic Terrorist'
The video is the latest example of federal immigration authorities labeling anyone who opposes them a "domestic terrorist."
Rand Paul Turns Against Section 230, Citing YouTube Video Accusing Him of Taking Money From Maduro
After Google refused to take down a video of him, the Kentucky senator suggested upending the legal framework undergirding the internet for three decades.
SCOTUS Seems Inclined To Reject Hawaii's Default Rule Against Guns on Private Property Open to the Public
The state requires carry permit holders to obtain advance permission before bringing firearms into businesses.
Video Shows Miami Beach Detectives Questioning Woman Over Facebook Post Criticizing Mayor
FIRE condemned the police visit: "This blatant overreach is offensive to the First Amendment."
This 1996 Law Protects Free Speech Online. Does It Apply to AI Too?
Excluding generative AI from Section 230 could stymie innovation and cut off consumers from useful tools.
How the FCC Became the Speech Police
The constitutionally anomalous status of broadcasting invites government meddling.
Video Shows Feds Shooting ICE Protester With Nonlethal Round at Point-Blank Range, Blinding Him in One Eye
The incident raises more questions about federal agents' use-of-force policies and training.
The FBI Thinks Renee Good's Anti-ICE Activism Is Relevant in Deciding Whether Killing Her Was Justified
It is hard to see how, since that question hinges on what happened the morning that an ICE agent shot her.
Video Shows Border Patrol Threaten Legal Observer in Key Largo for Following Him
Every federal circuit court that has considered the issue, including the one covering Florida, has upheld a First Amendment right to monitor and record the police.
'Pregnant? Don't Want To Be?' Ads at South Dakota Gas Stations Spark First Amendment Battle
Mayday.Health ads that direct people to an informational website about abortion access are deceptive advertising and must be banned, the state argues. That’s unconstitutional, counters Mayday.
Why Insulting Brigitte Macron Online Can Mean Prison Time in France
Ten Frenchmen were given fines, jail time, and social media bans for accusing their first lady of being a pedophilic gay man.
Elon Musk Said Rand Paul Is the One Person in Washington Who 'Gets It'
In an interview with Reason, CNN's Scott Jennings recounts the conversation he had with the tech entrepreneur about his distaste for exorbitant government spending.
The Trump Administration Says It's Illegal To Record Videos of ICE. Here's What the Law Says.
"Violence is anything that threatens them and their safety, so it is doxing them, it's videotaping them where they're at when they're out on operations," Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said.
If You Give a Bear a Badge, Will It Respect Your Rights?
Despite their general ignorance of constitutional law, bears pose a much less grave threat to your civil liberties than humans do.
Trump Bars 5 Europeans From the U.S. Over Their Censorship Efforts
Creeping authoritarianism in the European Union gets pushback from an administration that has its own rocky relationship with free speech.
How Politicians and Cops Tried To Dodge Responsibility in 2025
Presidents, legislators, and police officers were desperate to blame anyone but themselves.
Could the Feds Throw You in Jail for Merely Filming ICE Immigration Raids?
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said "videotaping" agents was violence—but Border Patrol brought a film crew to Chicago-area raids.
Mercy Otis Warren, the Founding Mother Who Opposed the Constitution
Remembering an important voice from the founding era.
The 9th Circuit Upholds a University of Washington Professor's Right to Mock 'Land Acknowledgments'
The appeals court ruled that administrators violated Stuart Reges' First Amendment rights when they investigated and threatened to punish him for constitutionally protected speech.
DHS Says Recording or Following Law Enforcement 'Sure Sounds Like Obstruction of Justice'
Seven federal circuit courts have upheld the First Amendment right to record and monitor the police.
This Tennessee Man Spent 37 Days in Jail for Sharing an Anti-Trump Meme. He Says the Cops Should Pay for That.
Larry Bushart's lawyers argue that his arrest for constitutionally protected speech violated the First and Fourth amendments.
The Trump Administration Is Abusing a Law To Threaten ICE Protesters. The Cases Are Falling Apart.
The administration doesn't want to win these cases. It wants to intimidate Americans who oppose its immigration policies.
A Texas News Vlogger Asks SCOTUS To Decide Whether Criminalizing Journalism Is 'Obviously Unconstitutional'
This is Priscilla Villarreal’s second trip to the Supreme Court, which last year revived her First Amendment lawsuit.
Survey: 91 Percent of College Students Think 'Words Can Be Violence.' That Could Feed Real Violence.
But there's a silver lining—sort of.
Bill of Rights Day: How Your Rights Keep Authoritarianism in Check
The document remains remarkably resilient, even as Republicans and Democrats keep launching assaults on liberty.
Ayn Rand Denounced the FCC's 'Public Interest' Censorship More Than 60 Years Ago
In her 1962 essay "Have Gun, Will Nudge," Rand foresaw how government officials would seek to silence people they don't like.
