Trump, DeSantis, and Scott Want To Kick Out Foreign Students Who Protest Israel
Their proposal raises obvious free speech concerns.
First Amendment
How To Yell 'Fire' in a Crowded Theater
Aside from narrowly defined exceptions, false speech is protected by the First Amendment.
SCOTUS Will Decide When the Government's Social Media Meddling Violates the First Amendment
The justices agreed to consider whether the Biden administration's efforts to suppress online "misinformation" were unconstitutional.
He's Going to Prison for Twitter Trolling. That's Not Justice.
Douglass Mackey's case raised questions about free speech, overcriminalization, and a politicized criminal legal system.
New York's Online Hate Speech Law Raises Serious First Amendment Concerns
Even content creators outside of New York would feel its effects.
Defamation Lawsuit Against Afroman Filed by Ohio Cops Will Partially Proceed
A judge tossed two of the claims against Afroman, finding that "the issue appears to be the humiliation and outrage that the officers feel at having their likenesses displayed and mocked."
The Latest Trump Gag Order Is Relatively Narrow but Still Raises Constitutional Questions
A federal judge barred the former president from "publicly targeting" witnesses, prosecutors, or court personnel.
Supreme Court Will Hear This Texas Woman's Challenge to a Politically Motivated Arrest
Sylvia Gonzalez, an anti-establishment politician, spent a day in jail for allegedly concealing a petition that she organized.
Iowa Man Files Lawsuit After Being Arrested Twice for Criticizing the Police at a Public Meeting
"Ironically, the actions of the police department have only proven my point," Noah Petersen said after being handcuffed, arrested, and jailed for his speech.
California Quietly Repeals Restrictions on Doctors' COVID-19 Advice
Several federal judges had expressed skepticism about the constitutionality of penalizing physicians for departing from a government-defined "consensus."
Holding Protest Leaders Liable for Others' Violence Threatens First Amendment Rights
A lawsuit against a Black Lives Matter activist could have a chilling impact on constitutionally protected activity.
Mia Khalifa, a Victim of Cancel Culture?
Playboy fired the former porn star after she tweeted in defense of Hamas.
Idaho Man Sued For Defamation After Speaking Out Against Local Airstrip
Critics have argued the legal action is a meritless SLAPP suit.
Defenders of the Florida and Texas Social Media Laws Contradict Themselves
If Facebook et al. are pushing a "radical leftist narrative," why don’t they have a constitutional right to do that?
Supreme Court Will Consider Cases Challenging Florida and Texas Social Media Laws
The laws require major social media platforms to host content they disapprove of for substantive reasons.
On Guns, Drugs, and National Security, Dianne Feinstein Was Consistently Authoritarian
The late California senator always seemed to err on the side of more government power and less individual freedom.
Federal Judge Rules Texas Anti-Drag Law Violates the First Amendment
The judge ruled that the law was unconstitutionally overbroad, vague, and viewpoint discrimination.
Houston Police Arrested an Animal Rights Protester and Detained Him for 16 Hours, Lawsuit Says
Daraius Dubash was arrested for peacefully protesting in a public park.
Federal Judge Declines To Stop Drag Show Ban at Texas College
The judge ruled that drag performances are not inherently expressive and that schools could regulate "vulgar and lewd" conduct.
A Former Twitter Executive's Highly Selective Concern About 'Coercive Influences' on Social Media
Yoel Roth worries about government meddling in content moderation, except when Democrats target "misinformation."
Ashland Professor Allegedly Ousted for Allowing 'Too Much Investigative Journalism'
After the student paper pressed university officials for interviews, its faculty adviser got into trouble.
Federal Judge Blocks California Online Age-Checking Law as Unconstitutional
Shielding children from “harm” shouldn’t come at the expense of speech protected by the First Amendment.
Morgan Bettinger's Accuser Has a Deal With Dove. That's No Reason To Boycott.
Reason broke the story of activist Zyahna Bryant baselessly accusing a fellow student of racism. It's still wrong to cancel her.
The Things We Can't Say
As the culture war permeates American life, combatants set their sights on the ways we express ourselves.
The 5th Circuit Agrees That Federal Officials Unconstitutionally 'Coerced' or 'Encouraged' Online Censorship
The appeals court narrowed a preliminary injunction against such meddling but confirmed the threat that it poses to freedom of speech.
Former Prisoner Can Sue Officials Who Illegally Detained Him for 2 Months, 5th Circuit Says
The case is just one example of miscalculations that routinely keep Louisiana prisoners behind bars after they complete their sentences.
Two-Thirds of College Students Think Shouting Down A Public Speaker Can Be Acceptable
Even at schools with solid speech policies, many students show little tolerance for opposing political beliefs.
Jared Polis: Democrats Are 'More Pro-Freedom Than Republicans'
The Colorado governor finds common ground with many libertarians. But does he really stand for more freedom?
Police Tore Up His Protest Sign. Now They Owe Him $50,000
Police also wrongly cited him for "improper hand signal" after the man flipped them off.
SCOTUS' Ruling in Gay Wedding Website Case Was a Defeat for Compelled Speech
"The opportunity to think for ourselves and to express those thoughts freely is among our most cherished liberties," Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the majority opinion.
Jessie Appleby and Bill Blanken: Do California Community Colleges 'Mandate Viewpoint Conformity'?
"Science should have no agenda other than a relentless pursuit of the truth.... With DEI, we're expected to search out racism within science curriculum, and it's just not there," says professor Bill Blanken.
That School Is Still Treading on Jaiden Rodriguez's Free Speech Rights
The district is still censoring the Gadsden flag patch as well as Second Amendment advocacy, according to FIRE.
In Scathing Rulings, Federal Courts Block Arkansas and Texas Age Verification Laws
Plus: Meta revises controversial "dangerous organizations" policy, a win against civil asset forfeiture in Detroit, and more...
Are California's New 'Woke' DEI College Standards Illegal?
Join Reason on YouTube at 1 p.m. Eastern for a discussion about a lawsuit against California Community Colleges' new DEI standards with FIRE attorney Jessie Appleby and the plaintiff
Don't Tread on Jaiden! School District Learns Its Lesson
The 12-year-old boy kicked out of class for sporting a Gadsden flag patch is back in school.
A Ruling Against a Man Arrested for a COVID-19 Joke Highlights the Influence of a Pernicious Analogy
A federal judge compared Waylon Bailey’s Facebook jest to "falsely shouting fire in a theatre."
12-Year-Old Boy Removed From School Over 'Don't Tread on Me' Patch
"The Gadsden flag is a proud symbol of the American revolution," says Colorado Gov. Jared Polis.
Talking About Sex Online Shouldn't Be Illegal
Porn sites and other online spaces with adult content are fun; they’re also important sources of community and information.
'No Reasonable Officer' Would Have Arrested a Guy for a COVID-19 Joke, the 5th Circuit Says
The appeals court ruled that a Facebook post alluding to World War Z was clearly protected by the First Amendment.
How Does Intramural Speech Fit Within the First Amendment?
A response to Porter v. North Carolina State University
Hospital Threatens Defamation Suit Over a 15-Year-Old's Change.org Petition
The hospital baselessly claimed the teenager's mother wrote the petition after she was fired without cause.
The Washington Post Says Democracy Demands Less Freedom of Speech
The paper worries that "social media companies are receding from their role as watchdogs against political misinformation."
Court Rules in Favor of Pro-Life Protesters Arrested for Chalk Messages
While chalking on D.C. sidewalks and streets is illegal, the protesters say they were targeted for their beliefs.
Jay Bhattacharya & John Vecchione: Biden's Social Media Meddling Was Illegal
Plaintiffs in Missouri v. Biden allege that federal pressure to remove and suppress COVID-19 material on Facebook and Twitter violates the First Amendment.
Was Biden's Social Media Meddling Illegal?
Join Reason on YouTube and Facebook on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. Eastern for a live discussion with Jay Bhattacharya and John Vecchione about their legal case against the Biden administration.
D.C. Circuit Revives Viewpoint Discrimination Suit Against District of Columbia
The District allowed "Black Lives Matter" protestors to violate the city's defacement ordinance, but enforced the law against groups with a different political message.
Why Stripping Fox's Broadcast License Is a Terrible Idea
Plus: A listener inquires about the potential positive effects of ranked-choice voting reforms.
Cops Invented a Reason To Cite Man Who Flipped Them Off
Body camera footage shows that Delaware police cited Jonathan Guessford for flipping them off, even though they later agreed it was his right to do so
