TikTok Is Too Popular To Ban
Plus: Police sue Afroman for using footage from raid, California bill could ban popular junk foods, and more...
First Amendment
The Crusade Against 'Malinformation' Explicitly Targets Inconvenient Truths
The legal challenge to censorship by proxy highlights covert government manipulation of online speech.
Of Course, the Trump Indictment Is Political
Plus: A listener asks the editors if the nation is indeed unraveling or if she is just one of "The Olds" now.
Federal Appeals Court Stops the 'Stop WOKE Act'
The 11th Circuit panel refused to lift an injunction against the law.
Christopher Rufo Wants To Shut Down 'Activist' Academic Departments. Here's Why He's Wrong.
"Professors are not mouthpieces for the government," says FIRE's Joe Cohn. "For decades, the Supreme Court of the United States has defended professors' academic freedom from governmental intrusion."
America's Losing Its Free Speech Consensus
Americans shouldn't have to fight to the death to defend their foes' right to speak, but they should at least stop trying to censor, shame, shun and destroy each other.
The Supreme Court Tackles the First Amendment Right To Encourage Illegal Immigration
Understanding what’s at stake in United States v. Hansen
A Florida Bill To Censor Professors Just Got Even Worse
The bill now bans a battery of poorly-defined "Critical Theory" concepts, and prevents schools from funding programs that promote "diversity, equity, and inclusion."
Yes, There Are Libertarians During Bank Runs
Plus: The editors recommend the best books for sparking interest in free market principles.
Democrats Deride the Twitter Files Reporters as 'So-Called Journalists'
Members of Congress showed their true colors at a Thursday hearing.
Ron DeSantis Disavows Bill That Would Require Political Bloggers To Register With the Government
State legislators "have independent agency to do things. I don't control every single bill that has been filed," said DeSantis on Tuesday.
FTC Seeks Names of All Journalists With Whom Musk Shared Twitter Documents
Plus: U.S. special forces seeks “next generation” deepfake tech, the economic cost of the PRO Act, and more…
Conservatives Who Want To Weaken Defamation Standards May Regret Opening That Can of Worms
Contrary to the Supreme Court's First Amendment precedents, Donald Trump thinks harsh criticism of the president should be actionable.
Federal Appeals Court Upholds First Amendment Right To Warn Drivers of Police Ahead
Michael Friend was arrested in 2018 for holding a sign that read "Cops Ahead" near a police checkpoint. That arrest violated his First and Fourth Amendment rights, a federal appeals court has ruled.
The SAFE TECH Act Is Anything but Safe
The latest bid to amend Section 230 would threaten free speech and creators' ability to monetize content while also subjecting tech companies to a flood of frivolous lawsuits.
Fox's Excuses Reinforce Dominion's Defamation Case
Although Rupert Murdoch admits that Lou Dobbs and other hosts "endorsed" the "stolen election" narrative, Fox's lawyers insist that is not true.
40 Percent of Liberal Professors Are Afraid They'll Lose Their Jobs Over a Misunderstanding
A new survey from FIRE reveals rampant illiberalism and self-censorship among young faculty.
New York's Message to Gun Owners: You Can Have a Carry Permit. Good Luck Using It.
A New York Times story about the state's location-specific gun bans glosses over the vast territory they cover.
Any of These Supreme Courts Cases Could Crush the Internet
The Court’s decisions in Gonzalez and subsequent cases could lead to impossible, incompatible consequences.
Ron DeSantis Wants To Cultivate 'Viewpoint Diversity' by Censoring Universities
Florida's H.B. 999 claims to support "viewpoint diversity" and "intellectual rigor." It does just the opposite.
Arizona House Passes a Bill That Would Force Children To Say the Pledge of Allegiance
"The current law is that parents have a right to direct the education of their child,'' said the bill's sponsor. "And this is a parents' rights state.''
Ron DeSantis Wants To Rewrite Defamation Law
"The bill is an aggressive and blatantly unconstitutional attempt to rewrite defamation law in a manner that protects the powerful from criticism by journalists and the public," said one attorney.
During Surprise Trip to Kyiv, Biden Promises Endless Support for Ukraine War
Plus: The National Endowment for Democracy ends funding of conservative media blacklist, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear major internet free speech case, and more...
District Court Halts New York Law Forcing Online Platforms To 'Respond' to 'Hateful' Speech
"Today's decision is a victory for the First Amendment that should be celebrated by everyone who hopes to see the internet continue as a place where even difficult and contentious issues can be debated and discussed freely," said one attorney.
The Perils of Trying To Curtail Hazily Defined 'Disinformation'
A government-supported organization's controversial ratings of online news sources illustrate the challenge of deciding what qualifies as disinformation.
U.S. State Department Funds a Disinformation Index That Warns Advertisers To Avoid Reason
Reason is listed among the "ten riskiest online news outlets" by a government-funded disinfo tracker.
Can the Feds Prosecute Douglass Mackey for His Twitter Trolling?
Because of a series of misleading memes, a troll has been charged with conspiracy "to injure, oppress, threaten and intimidate one or more persons in the free exercise and enjoyment of a right and privilege secured to them by the Constitution and laws of the United States."
Do Politicians Have a First Amendment Right To Lie to You?
Plus: Missouri's "Don't Say Gay" bill, exempting parents from income tax, and more...
Free Speech Group Calls Out 10 Censorship-Prone Colleges To Avoid
A rogues’ gallery of institutions that anybody with an independent mind should skip.
The New York Times Warns That Freedom of Speech 'Threatens Public Health' and 'Democracy Itself'
The paper is unfazed by First Amendment objections to the Biden administration's crusade against "misinformation" on social media.
Yes, You Have a First Amendment Right To Livestream Cops
Plus: Some State of the Union fact checking, a livestream discussion about gun rights and violence, and more...
House Oversight Committee Is Fighting Twitter Censorship the Wrong Way
Congress should set its sights on bad government actors who pressured social media companies.
Florida's War on Drag Targets Theater's Liquor License
Apparently, parents’ rights don’t extend to letting their kids listen to naughty Christmas lyrics.
An Iowa Town Charged a Man With Disorderly Conduct Because He Called a Cop a 'Domestic Abuser'
Now a judge has cleared him of wrongdoing and struck down the rule used to justify the arrest.
Cop Orders Reporter To Leave a Park for Daring To Interview a Child
Normal human interaction should not automatically be considered creepy or criminal.
Police Harassed a Man Holding a 'God Bless the Homeless Vets' Sign. He's Suing.
"My intention is to ensure that all Americans from the wealthiest millionaire to the poorest homeless person can exercise these rights without fear of consequence from our government," said Jeff Gray.
Washington State's Democrats Float a Proposal To Make Voting Mandatory
The proposal is "about behavior modification," argued state Sen. Patty Kuderer, likening the government's role in promoting voting to that of a parent.
A Wisconsin Town Targeted a Couple's Political Yard Sign. Now, They're Suing.
"Everybody should have an expectation that they can put a sign in their yard and speak on a certain topic," a lawyer for the couple said.
Concert Organizer Bows to Politicians' Demands, Cancels Pantera Show
The Vienna Green Party had demanded a scheduled performance of the reunited heavy metal band be canceled because of a 2016 incident in which singer Phil Anselmo threw out a Nazi salute.
How Does California Define COVID-19 'Misinformation'? Judges Disagree, but Doctors Are Expected To Know.
One federal judge thought the state's new restrictions on medical advice were clear, while another saw a hopeless muddle.
Rep. Adam Schiff Seeks Dianne Feinstein's Senate Seat
They both share in their authoritarian desires to censor online speech and violate citizen privacy.
A Federal Judge Blocks California's Ban on Medical Advice That Promotes COVID-19 'Misinformation'
U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb says the law is unconstitutionally vague.
A Louisiana Town Repeatedly Arrested a Man for His 'FUCK JOE BIDEN' Flags. Now, He's Suing.
"The Town has routinely detained, cited, and forced Mr. Brunet to go to trial to vindicate his constitutional rights, taking the extraordinary step of adopting a boldly unconstitutional local Ordinance to silence him," the complaint reads.
She Was Jailed for Basic Journalism. A Federal Court Isn't Sure if That's Unconstitutional.
Priscilla Villarreal's case will be heard again tomorrow at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. She has attracted some unlikely supporters.
Judge Rules DeSantis Violated First Amendment by Ousting Reform Prosecutor but Declines To Reinstate Him
"In short, the controlling motivations for the suspension were the interest in bringing down a reform prosecutor," the judge wrote.
A Federal Judge Says the DOJ's Sex Offender Registration Rules Violate Due Process by Requiring the Impossible
Justice Department regulations threaten people with prosecution for failing to register even when their state no longer requires it.
North Dakota Legislators Consider Bill To Ban 'Sexually Explicit' Material From Public Libraries
"If you don't like a book, don't read it. The First Amendment's guarantee of the freedom of speech and the right to access information has created a beautiful marketplace of ideas in our country," said one ACLU representative opposing the bill.
