Backpage Founder Michael Lacey Released on Bail
Lacey can await the resolution of his appeal outside of prison.
First Amendment
Deepfake Crackdowns Threaten Free Speech
From criminal penalties to bounty hunters, state laws targeting election-related synthetic media raise serious First Amendment concerns.
Incoming FCC Chairman Brendan Carr's Beef With NewsGuard Is Legally Dubious and Empirically Shaky
The company, which says it takes an "apolitical approach" to rating news outlets, faces regulatory threats and a congressional probe because of its perceived bias against conservatives.
An Alabama D.A. Filed Legally Impossible Charges Against School Board Members Who Crossed Him
A board employee and a local reporter were arrested on the same bogus charge of divulging nonexistent grand jury secrets.
The New FCC Chairman's Agenda Contradicts Conservative Principles
Brendan Carr’s plans for "reining in Big Tech" are a threat to limited government, free speech, free markets, and the rule of law.
Trump's Pick To Run the FCC Wants To Restrict the Editorial Discretion of Social Media Platforms
"Reining in Big Tech," Brendan Carr says, requires scrapping liability protections and restricting moderation decisions.
Texas Bill Takes Aim at Online Speech About Abortion Pills
Abortion battles are becoming tech policy battles.
Federal Judge Blocks Law Mandating Ten Commandments Displays in Louisiana Classrooms
The law "is not neutral toward religion," wrote Judge John W. deGravelles, who ruled that the law was "facially unconstitutional."
Biden Admin Stops Telling Americans Which Foreigners They Can Debate
The Treasury Department tried to stop an overseas conference that included politicians under sanctions. Now they’re backing down.
During Trump's Second Term, the Supreme Court's Critics Will Be Grateful for Its Restraining Influence
The justices, including Trump's nominees, have shown they are willing to defy his will when they think the law requires it.
Trump Has Many Grudges. Now He Has a Chance To Act on Them.
In his second term, the former and future president will have more freedom to follow his worst instincts.
Trump's Legal Complaints Against 2 News Outlets Reflect His Disregard for Freedom of the Press
The Republican presidential candidate argues that CBS and The Washington Post broke the law by covering the election in ways he did not like.
Citizen Journalism Is Under Attack. This Texas Woman Is Fighting to Save It.
After being arrested for doing journalism, Priscilla Villarreal has taken her fight to the courts.
'Let Parents Decide' What Kids Can Do Online, Argue Tech Groups in New Lawsuit
The groups are challenging a Florida law that bans some teens from social media.
How the Feds Destroyed Backpage.com and Its Founders
By prosecuting the website's founders, the government chilled free speech online and ruined lives.
What the Past Can Teach Us About Our AI Fears
Regulating AI could threaten free speech, just as earlier proposed regulations of other media once did.
Trump Thinks News Outlets Should Lose Their Broadcast Licenses, Even When They Have None
Despite his cluelessness, the former president's inclination to punish constitutionally protected speech reflects his authoritarian disregard for civil liberties.
Are Books and Brains Weapons? The U.S. Government Thinks So.
Sending user manuals, algorithms, and lines of code can be legally equivalent to exporting bombs.
Judge Throws Out Charges Against Arizona Mom Arrested for Criticizing Officials at a City Council Meeting
Rebekah Massie's removal and arrest from a city council meeting was "objectively outrageous," the judge ruled.
This Activist Uses the FCC To Shoehorn Gruesome Anti-Abortion Ads Onto the Air
How the equal time rule is helping him hijack the airwaves.
'It's the First Amendment, Stupid': Federal Judge Slams Florida for Threatening TV Stations
The state has been demanding that TV stations remove political ads in support of a reproductive freedom amendment on the ballot this year.
No, Trump Did Not Endorse a Military Assault on People 'Simply Because They Oppose His Candidacy'
The former president's authoritarian tendencies are alarming enough without inventing new outrages.
University of Michigan Spent $250 Million on DEI, Made Students Unhappier
"Michigan's D.E.I. expansion has coincided with an explosion in campus conflict over race and gender," notes The New York Times.
Chip Mellor's Legacy Promotes a Broader Concept of Civil Liberties
For more than three decades, the Institute for Justice has shown that economic freedom and private property are essential safeguards for ordinary Americans.
This Reporter Was Arrested for Asking Questions. The Supreme Court Just Revived Her Lawsuit.
Priscilla Villarreal's case is about whether certain reporters have more robust free speech rights than others.
Oklahoma Loosens Rules for Mandatory Classroom Bibles
The good news is that schools won't be forced to stock Trump-endorsed Bibles. The bad news is that they're still being forced to supply Bibles.
SCOTUS Revives Lawsuit Against Missouri Cop Who Jailed a Man 'for Being an Asshole'
Mason Murphy says Officer Michael Schmitt violated his rights by punishing him for constitutionally protected speech.
The ACLU of South Carolina is Suing To Publish Interviews With a Death Row Inmate
South Carolina bans all media interviews with incarcerated people, a policy the state's ACLU chapter says is the most restrictive in the country and infringes on its First Amendment rights.
Florida Threatens Local TV Station With Prosecution Over 'Dangerous' Pro-Choice Ad
The Florida Department of Health sent a cease and desist order to a Florida news station after it aired an ad claiming that women with cancer would be unable to obtain abortions in the state.
Watch Now: Classified: The War on Backpage.com
Reason's new documentary is now streaming on the video platform CiVL. I hope you'll watch.
Neither Harris Nor Trump Is a Friend of Free Speech
Both presidential candidates (and their running mates) seem confused about the constraints imposed by the First Amendment.
Sixth Circuit Allows Enforcement of Ohio Law Barring Foreign Expenditures on Ballot Initiatives
A divided circuit panel stays the district court's injunction against enforcing Ohio's law.
Reason's New Documentary on Backpage.com Is Streaming Exclusively on CiVL
The film ties together years of reporting on a legal saga with broad implications for both free speech and sex work.
Oklahoma's Push for Bibles in Schools Comes With a Trump-Sized Price Tag
Ryan Walters' strict stipulations make it clear he’s steering Oklahoma schools to purchase Donald Trump’s Bibles at a hefty cost.
Hillary Clinton Wants To Repeal Section 230
Her comments are a reminder that this free-speech protection is far from safe.
Nashville Attorney Sues Federal Judges Over Gag Order Barring Him From Talking About a Notorious Prison
Daniel Horwitz often represents people illegally silenced by the government. This time he says a court violated his First Amendment rights when it gagged him from publicly speaking about a troubled state prison.
Judge Stops California Law Targeting Election Misinformation
A federal judge ruled that the law was overbroad and violated the First Amendment.
Tim Walz's Very Bad Answer on Social Media Censorship
The would-be vice president is wrong to say that misinformation lacks First Amendment protection.
Yes, Tim Walz, You Can Shout 'Fire' In A Crowded Theatre
During Tuesday's debate, Tim Walz fumbled a key moment by misunderstanding the First Amendment
Minnesota 'Acting as a Ministry of Truth' With Anti-Deep Fake Law, Says Lawsuit
The broad ban on AI-generated political content is clearly an affront to the First Amendment.
Citizen Journalist Barred From Press Conference Can Sue Texas Sheriff for Violating His Rights, Judge Rules
The decision is a reminder that independent reporters are still protected by the same First Amendment as journalists in legacy media.
University of Maryland Sued for Canceling Student 'Expressive Activity' on October 7
The university caved to pressure to target pro-Palestine events.
Drones Face Supreme Court Showdown Over Free Speech Rights
State boards use outdated laws to target content creators, raising urgent questions about free speech in the digital age.
States Are Trying To Force the Bible Into the Classroom
“The separation of church and state appears nowhere in the Declaration of Independence or Constitution," a top Oklahoma education official said in defense of the state's Ten Commandments decree.
A Texas Reporter Was Arrested for Asking Questions. The State Says That's No Big Deal.
Opposing Priscilla Villarreal's petition for Supreme Court review, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton portrays basic journalism as "incitement."
Is Nostr an Antidote to Social Media Censorship?
What if there was a social media platform owned not by Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, or the Chinese Communist Party, but by everybody and nobody all at once?
Campus Protest Hypocrisy Reveals Need For Student Education on Free Speech
As Israel-Hamas demonstrations continue in the new school year, the misunderstanding of free speech is fueling disruption and hypocrisy on campuses.
