CNN Panelist Claims That Donald Trump Caused Charlottesville Attack
The punch line: It was a panel on the dangers of misinformation.
Misinformation
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.
The Panic Over an Imaginary Militia 'Hunting FEMA' Did More Damage Than the Actual Threat
Someone did allegedly threaten first responders, but the panic may have done more damage.
Free Speech Unmuted: Misinformation: Past, Present, and Future
Jane and I discuss calls to restrict misinformation, from the Sedition Act of 1798 to Hurricane Helene.
Can Differences in 'Misinformation' Sharing Explain Political Disparities in Social Media Suspensions?
A new study finds that conservatives are especially likely to share information from sources that a "politically balanced" sample of Republicans and Democrats deemed untrustworthy.
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.
Judge Stops California Law Targeting Election Misinformation
A federal judge ruled that the law was overbroad and violated the First Amendment.
Public Ignorance and Misinformation About Immigration
A new study shows it is widespread on several issues, in ways that bolster restrictionism.
These Democrats Want the FEC To Crack Down on Elon Musk's Grok
Seven congressional Democrats called on the FEC to stop deepfakes. But is there really much to worry about?
Is Pavel Durov the Next Julian Assange?
The Telegram co-founder may become a free-expression martyr for the terrible crime of enabling permissionless speech.
Actually, Interviewing Presidential Candidates Is a Good Thing
Plus: RFK Jr. thrown off the N.Y. ballot, Ukraine advances into Russia, and more...
Elon Musk's 'Election Interference'
We're entering peak stupidity with "election interference" claims.
Judge Tosses Former 'Disinformation' Chief's Defamation Suit, Says She Really Was a Censor
Nina Jankowicz finds out the truth may hurt, but it isn’t lawsuit bait.
A Real-Life Psyop: How the U.S. Military Spread Anti-Vax Conspiracy Theories
Washington keeps getting caught pushing the kind of disinformation it claims to oppose.
Biden Spreads Misinformation About Trump Calling for a 'Unified Reich'
Where are the fact-checkers?
How the Media Manufactured Panic Over Bees
About 20 years ago, many American bees did die. Then that steadily diminished—but hysteria in the press continued.
Americans Favor Freedom of the Press, Sort Of
Half the country says suppressing “false information” is more important than press freedom.
Nina Jankowicz, Disinformation Czar, Is Back in Action
The American Sunlight Project contends that researchers are being silenced by their critics.
Combat Disinformation With Better Norms, Not More Laws
Fight back through better information and discourse, not by empowering the government.
Misinformation Watchdogs Keep Failing Upward
And they're still trying to censor speech on social media.
The Supreme Court Should Reject Clandestine Government Censorship of Online Speech
The Biden administration’s social media meddling went far beyond "information" and "advice."
SCOTUS Ponders Whether the Biden Administration Coerced Social Media Platforms To Censor Speech
Several justices seemed concerned that an injunction would interfere with constitutionally permissible contacts.
The New York Times Again Worries That Free Speech Endangers Democracy
The newspaper portrays the constitutional challenge to the government's social media meddling as a conspiracy by Donald Trump's supporters.
FIRE Highlights the Blatant Hypocrisy of State Officials Who Decry Government Meddling With Social Media
Even as they attack the Biden administration's crusade against "misinformation," Missouri and Louisiana defend legal restrictions on content moderation.
Jen Psaki and Nancy Pelosi Push a Conspiracy Theory About Trump and Putin
Where are the fact-checkers and misinformation cops?
When Doctors Are the Source of Public Health Misinformation
Medical professionals are often unaware of the relevant research on the relative risks of tobacco products, and that can matter for public health.
Progressives Are Ditching Free Speech To Fight 'Disinformation'
From limits on liability protections for websites to attempts to regulate the internet like a public utility, these proposals will erode Americans' right to express themselves.
Was Amazon 'Free to Ignore' White House Demands That It Suppress Anti-Vaccine Books?
The Biden administration's interference with bookselling harks back to a 1963 Supreme Court case involving literature that Rhode Island deemed dangerous.
Yes, Biden Absolutely Told Coal Miners To Learn To Code
Where are the misinformation czars and the mainstream media fact-checkers now?
Lab Leak Is Not a Conspiracy Theory, Anthony Fauci Concedes
The doctor's claims that he was open to either explanation is flatly contradicted by his literal words.
In 2024, Teens Will Get Pregnant in Driverless Cars
Plus: State officials attempt to ban Donald Trump from 2024 election ballots.
If You Ignore Claudine Gay's Plagiarism, Shame on You
Academic malfeasance by Harvard's president deserves media coverage and condemnation, not excuses.
Jeff Kosseff: Why False Speech Deserves First Amendment Protections
The former journalist defends misinformation in the Trump era and explains why so many journalists are against free speech.
Help Fight Disinformation About Disinformation: Donate to Reason
Your support makes some of the "riskiest" journalism on the internet possible.
Texas Newspaper Virally Claims Ted Cruz Wanted To 'Limit' Preferred Pronouns. His Bill Doesn't Do That.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) introduced a bill last month that would bar federal agencies from forcing employees to respect preferred names or pronouns.
Are Right-Wingers More Prone to Believe Conspiracy Theories than Left-Wingers?
An extensive new study finds that the answer is "no." Belief in conspiracy theories is about equally common on different sides of the political spectrum.
'America Funded It': Rand Paul Blasts Fauci and the Media for Suppressing the Lab Leak Theory
The notion that COVID-19 came from a lab was once touted as misinformation. But now the FBI, the Energy Department, and others agree with Paul.
The Bipartisan Urge To Control Online Speech
Democrats and Republicans are united in thinking their political agendas trump the 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.
Disinformation Reporter Ben Collins Failed To Correct the Gaza Hospital Story
Perhaps the Walter Cronkite Awards ought to have slightly higher standards?
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."
The Demand for Political Misinformation is a Bigger Problem than the Supply—Even in the Age of AI
Economist Tyler Cowen elaborates on some of the reasons why. The root of the problem is that voters have poor incentives to become well-informed and evaluate information objectively.
Bahrain's Dictatorship Gets More Biden Administration Help
The U.S.-Bahraini security pact is the first step towards a future U.S.-Saudi “mega-deal.” Critics say it violates the U.S. Constitution and aids torturers.
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."
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.
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."
