Trump's Vision of Broadcast Regulation Is a Threat to Conservatives
History suggests that Republicans will regret letting the FCC police TV programming.
First Amendment
60 Years Ago, Ayn Rand Denounced FCC Censorship. Brendan Carr Should Listen.
In her 1962 essay "Have Gun, Will Nudge," Rand explained exactly how the public interest standard would lead to censorship.
Michigan Anti-Porn Bill Would Criminalize ASMR, Written Erotica, and Even Nonsexual Depictions of Trans People
Under the law, transgender people writing about their gender identity online could face 20 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.
America's Free Speech Culture Is Under Attack From Within
The First Amendment still stands, but the culture that supports it is eroding.
The FCC's Involvement in Canceling Jimmy Kimmel Was 'Unbelievably Dangerous,' Ted Cruz Says
Rand Paul concurs that the threats preceding the comedian's suspension were "absolutely inappropriate" because the agency has "no business weighing in on this."
The FCC Chair's Unprecedented, and Constitutionally Problematic, Response to Jimmy Kimmel
And Trump's much more extreme one. [EV writes: I bumped this post from yesterday, because it struck me as especially timely and substantively valuable.]
Should Elected Officials Censor Americans? Trump's Administration Says Yes.
Vice President J.D. Vance and Sen. Cynthia Lummis are among the latest conservatives to turn their backs on free speech when it comes to their ideological opponents.
Abolish the FCC
The Trump Administration's recent abuses of the agency's powers lend weight to longstanding libertarian arguments for abolishing it, going back to Nobel Prize-winning economist Ronald Coase's classic 1959 article.
The FCC Should Let Jimmy Kimmel Be
What the Trump administration is doing to late-night comedy is clearly jawboning.
Brendan Carr Flagrantly Abused His Powers To Cancel Jimmy Kimmel
"We can do this the easy way or the hard way," the FCC chairman said, threatening to punish broadcasters for airing the comedian's show.
Did You Ask the FCC If You Can Make That Joke?
Plus: America's cocaine habit, how Charlie Kirk handled South Park, and more...
Trump's 'Firing' of Lisa Cook Is Headed for SCOTUS
Plus: Pam Bondi flunks free speech 101.
'The Free Market Is Handling It Just Fine': How Left and Right Responded to Charlie Kirk's Murder
On the latest episode of Free Media, Amber Duke and I discuss the assassination of Charlie Kirk, cancel culture, and political violence.
Trump's Complaint Against the New York Times: A Long Press Release that Mangles "Actual Malice"
It’s mainly praise for Trump: “President Trump secured the greatest personal and political achievement in American history.”
Brendan Carr and Ted Cruz Don't Think Charlie Kirk's Murder Justifies Speech Restrictions
Rand Paul, who called for "a crackdown on people" who celebrated the assassination, was less careful in distinguishing between private and government action.
The Perverse Incentives for Snitch-Tagging Teachers Who Criticized Charlie Kirk
Under current First Amendment jurisprudence, more targeted harassment means it's more constitutional to fire a government worker.
Pam Bondi Is Really Wrong About Hate Speech
The attorney general is now getting called out by fellow conservatives.
The Standard for 'Vicious' Speech Trump Laid Out After Kirk's Murder Would Implicate Trump Himself
Freedom of speech cannot reliably protect conservatives unless it also protects people they despise.
GOP Rep Proposes Canceling People Over Mean Posts About Charlie Kirk
Louisiana Rep. Clay Higgins, who once opposed government jawboning, now says people should be banned from both social media and public life over their posts.
The Killing of Charlie Kirk: 5 Idiotic Responses on Social Media
We should welcome renunciations of violence from those who disagree with Kirk, and dispute nonsense across the political spectrum.
College Students Across the Political Spectrum Support Shouting Down Opponents
Once a left-wing fetish, the heckler’s veto has gained conservative adherents.
Donald Trump's Antitrust Enforcers Continue Their Harassment Campaign Against Google
There is no hard evidence of Gmail discriminating against Republican campaign emails, but that’s no matter to the FTC Chairman.
Graham Linehan's Speech Must Be Defended
The Irish comedian's arrest by British authorities is an outrage.
Documenting Denial: A Record of Rejection Faced by Gay Couples
Over the past two decades, scores of business owners across the nation have sought to refuse services for same-sex weddings, an SMU Law School study finds
Burn, Baby, Burn
Plus: Government stake in Intel, inside the DNC, RFK Jr. brings back whole milk, and more...
Trump's Executive Order Prohibiting Flag Burning Is Unconstitutional
The president is the last person who should confuse protected speech with incitement to violence.
Bluesky Blocks Mississippi Users
Age verification laws are already coming for Americans’ access to free speech.
West Texas A&M Drag Ban Defeated in Court
Obviously drag shows are protected by the First Amendment.
Mocking Elected Officials Is a Sign of a Healthy Democracy
Thin-skinned MAGA can dish it out, but can't take mockery.
A First Amendment Lawsuit Highlights the Chilling Impact of Speech-Based Deportation on Student Journalists
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression is seeking an injunction that would protect noncitizens at The Stanford Daily from arrest and removal because of their published work.
St. Louis Fan Removal for MAGA Hat Ignites Debate Over Free Speech
Michael Weitzel was ejected for violating the club’s fan code of conduct, which prohibits “threatening, abusive, or discriminatory" symbols and language.
Veteran With PTSD Can Sue the Cops Who Arrested Him for Panhandling and Tased His Service Dog, Court Rules
Joshua Rohrer's dog, Sunshine, ran away and was later hit and killed by a car.
The U.K. Keeps Threatening To Censor American Tech Companies
X has begun restricting content related to Gaza for its U.K. users, and Reddit has implemented age-verification measures to view posts about cigars.
Safe Spaces Are Coming Back to Brown University—All Thanks to Trump
The campus' settlement with the federal government is bound to create free speech headaches.
You Shouldn't Need a License to Talk
Occupational licensing can be useless, harmful—and even a threat to free speech.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr's Meddling in Broadcast Journalism Contradicts His Own Avowed Views
As a minority FCC member during the Bush administration, Carr condemned government interference with newsroom decisions.
The ACLU Says a New York Official Violated the NRA's First Amendment Rights. They Still Can't Sue Her.
A federal court concluded the official was entitled to qualified immunity in a case that united two unlikely allies.
The FCC's Paramount/Skydance Decision Aims To Reshape Broadcast Journalism by Bureaucratic Fiat
Chairman Brendan Carr thinks his agency should strive to ensure that news coverage is fair and balanced—a role precluded by the First Amendment.
X's Win in Federal Court Is a Victory for Free Speech and Open Disclosure
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has placed minor restraints on the government’s ability to impose gag orders on secret subpoenas issued to tech companies.
This Bill Would Fine Social Media Companies $5 Million Every Day for Not Fighting 'Terrorism'
The STOP HATE Act wants social media platforms to report their moderation policies and outcomes to the government. And it’s not the only censorial measure Rep. Josh Gottheimer wants.
The Feds Roll Back Their Influence Over NPR Only To Claim Greater Influence Over TikTok
Politicians' interest in controlling the content you see shifts from public media to social media.
Meet Stephen Colbert's Biggest Fans: Congressional Democrats
When even Keith Olbermann is providing a much-needed sanity check, it says something.
Trump Administration Opens New Investigation Into Harvard, Escalating Pressure
The investigation comes only two days after a federal judge cast doubt on the Trump administration’s argument in Harvard’s lawsuit over federal funding.
Defending Its Speech-Based Deportation Policy, the Trump Administration Says 'No Such Policy Exists'
The government's gaslighting strategy suggests that federal officials are not confident about the constitutionality of punishing students for expressing anti-Israel views.
NFL Players Union Head Lloyd Howell Resigns After $2,426 in Strip Club Receipts Scrutinized
Plus: WNBA players want a raise, and Trump wants Redskins?
'Subway Surfing' Death Suit Against TikTok, Meta Further Chips Away at Section 230
Norma Nazario blames her son's death on social media algorithms.
Trump, Who Wants To 'Straighten Out the Press,' Sues The Wall Street Journal Over 'Fake' Epstein Letter
Whatever the merits of this particular defamation claim, the president has a long history of abusing the legal system to punish constitutionally protected speech.
