Are California's New Data Privacy Controls Even Legal?
A new paper raises constitutional questions about expansive state-level regulations that reach beyond their borders.
Internet
Was This the Decade We Hit Peak Free Speech?
Speech was more varied and vibrant than ever before—and then the backlash began.
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From personalized magazine covers to 3D videos to cutting-edge podcasts, we've always been ahead of the curve, thanks to your help.
Ro Khanna Hopes This Bill Will Pave the Way to Repealing FOSTA
Since FOSTA passed in 2018, "sex workers have faced increased violence" and "have been forced onto the streets," the California congressman says.
Do We Need a World Data Organization?
Democratic presidential hopeful Andrew Yang thinks so.
Kat Rosenfield and Stan Lee Wrote a Superhero Novel About Cancel Culture
A Trick of Light is the result of an unorthodox collaboration between the accomplished young adult novelist and the late Spider-Man creator.
'We Can Fact Check Your Ass,' but Not When It Comes to Political Ads
Twitter has made a bad decision when it comes to banning political ads from its site. They should trust users to decide what is right or wrong.
Study: YouTube's Fringe Video Viewers Aren't Passive Zombies
Plus: Cryptocurrency crashes, prison abuse protests in Florida, the death of the center-right, and more...
'Data Portability' Bill Would Risk User Privacy and Crush Social Media Startups
Plus: Court says scraping social media profiles is not hacking, and more...
What 'Rights' Do We Have When We're Talking About Our Private Online Data?
Defining terms is tricky, particularly when governments with bad track records on privacy want to call the shots.
Score One for Trump's Trade Policy: Putting Online Speech Protections in Trade Deals Makes Sense
For once, the Trump administration is on the right side of a debate with Congress over trade.
Saying 'Triggered' Will Not Turn Your Child Into a Nazi
But they might be mad at mom for writing about them in The New York Times.
Why Hong Kong Protesters Are Channeling Bruce Lee
The mostly young demonstrators are calling for autonomy and democracy—and won't be silenced like the NBA.
How To Fix Social Media and Democracy
The creator of "Godwin's law" about Hitler analogies has a bold new vision for free expression, online and off.
Trump Is the Problem, With or Without Twitter
If people think cancel culture sucks now, just wait until the government gets involved.
Federal Court Upholds FCC Decision to Roll Back Obama-Era Net Neutrality Rules
Deregulation didn't end the internet as we know it.
D.C. Circuit Upholds FCC Decision to Rescind "Net Neutrality" (But Rejects FCC Attempt to Preempt Conflicting State Law)
In a lengthy opinion, a divided three-judge panel turns away most of the legal challenges to the Federal Communications Commission's "Restoring Internet Freedom" Order
Stossel: Glenn Beck vs. Big Tech
Glenn Beck says social media outlets are biased against conservatives.
Judge Poised to Reject Suit by 90 'Jane Does' Who Say Salesforce Is Responsible for Sex Trafficking
The cases hinges on two laws—FOSTA and Section 230—that have been hotly contested in recent years.
This Hawaiian Hotelier Hates Airbnb So Much He's Willing to Destroy the Internet To Kill It
The bad news is he's a congressman now. And he's trying to stomp all over Section 230 in order to attack home-sharing apps.
Stan Lee Co-author Kat Rosenfield on Rise of Cancel Culture in the Literary World
Trick of Light collaborator talks about working with a legend, the failings of online community, and the rise of cancel culture in the literary world.
Politicians Want to Destroy Section 230, the Internet's First Amendment
Four myths about the law that made the modern internet possible.
Feds to YouTube: No More Cookies for Children!
The Federal Trade Commission's settlement with YouTube will cripple online video functionality.
Should Amazon (and Google, and Facebook) Be Canceled by Antitrust Law?
Donald Trump, Elizabeth Warren, and "hipster antitrust" scholars and activists say big tech companies need to be broken up. Economist Tom Hazlett says they're wrong.
Google Cracks Down on Employees' Political Speech
The unsurprising result of conservatives complaining about Big Tech bias: less speech, not more
Secret Memos Show the Government Has Been Lying About Backpage All Along
Sealed memos fought over in federal court last week show authorities have known for years that claims about Backpage were bogus.
The Sec. 230 Temperature is Rising
Liability safe harbors for Internet intermediaries are not responsible for Internet "hate speech"
6 Terrible New Tech Bills in Congress
While expressing concern for free speech and privacy, lawmakers are seriously threatening both.
Christian Satire Site The Babylon Bee Is So Good Snopes.com Treated It Like Real News
Editor in Chief Kyle Mann talks about being taken literally by fact checkers, whether any subject (even a mass shooting) is off limits, and the libertarian sensibility of his humor.
Free Speech on the Internet Continues to Confuse Everyone
Plus: 8chan called before Congress, data privacy bill hits a snag, and more...
Cloudflare, Not the Government, Should Decide Whether It Wants to Do Business with 8chan
Companies should forced neither to help spread offensive speech nor to suppress it.
After El Paso and Dayton Shootings, Threatened Crackdowns on Guns, Immigrants, and Internet Speech
Plus: the trouble with "national conservatism," the decline of the mortgage interest deduction, and more...
Josh Hawley Wants to Ban YouTube's Autoplay Feature in the Name of Fighting Social Media Addiction
The Missouri senator thinks wasting time on Instagram is a problem so big that only the federal government can solve it.
Section 230 Is the Internet's First Amendment. Now Both Republicans and Democrats Want To Take It Away.
From Josh Hawley to Kamala Harris, online free speech is under attack.
Backpage Prosecutors Want to Seize Assets First, Answer Questions Later
Aggressive asset forfeiture collides with First Amendment rights.
The End of the Free Internet Is Near
The idea that the internet should enjoy minimal government oversight precisely because it was a technology that enabled open and free speech for everyone has been turned on its head.
Because Politicians Are for Sale, They Think Everyone Else Is Too
Sen. Josh Hawley (R–Mo.) has proposed a dreadful bill that would give the government control of internet content. He thinks the only reason anyone could be opposed is because they've been bought off.
Sen. Ron Wyden: Conservatives Are 'Totally Wrong' About Political Neutrality Under Section 230
"Section 230 has nothing to do with neutrality. Nothing. Zip. There is absolutely no weight to that argument," Wyden says. He oughta know. He wrote the damn thing.
Knitting Website Ravelry Bans All Pro-Trump Content
"Support of the Trump administration is undeniably support for white supremacy."
Almost No One Digs Josh Hawley's Internet Censorship Proposal, Thank Goodness
Plus: Immigration officials confirm Trump tweets about new raids, Elizabeth Warren talks sex work decriminalization, and more...
Josh Hawley Introduces Bill to Put Washington In Charge of Internet Speech
Hawley is selling it as a way to fight tech-company "bias" against Republicans. Don't believe him.
Muscular Content Moderation Is a Really Bad Idea That's Impossible To Implement Well
Be afraid as more journalists and politicians start calling for stronger policing of online speech.
Are Google and YouTube Evil? No, But Don't Let That Get in the Way of Your Feelings.
Despite scant evidence, everyone wants to believe that social media has a unique ability to control our thoughts and actions.
If We Told You Neal Stephenson Invented Bitcoin, Would You Be Surprised?
In his new book, Fall, the author of Snow Crash, Cryptonomicon, and The Diamond Age, looks to the digital afterlife, and beyond.
Why Instapundit Glenn Reynolds Thinks Twitter, Facebook, and Google Should Be Busted Up
The "blogfather" once touted the internet as the antidote to Big Government, Big Business, and Big Media. Now he wants the feds to crack down on social media.
Crossfit Deletes Facebook and Instagram After User Group Is Deplatformed
In the best of all possible worlds, such actions wouldn't be necessary. In the current climate, boycotting social media might spark a return to a robust marketplace of ideas.
To Fight 'Extremism,' Journalists Are Praising Online Censorship
Social media platforms and governments are "voluntarily" teaming up to ban "violent extremist content." What could go wrong?
