The Future of Free Speech Joins The Global Network Initiative (GNI)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NASHVILLE, Tenn. October 31, 2024 — Today, The Future of Free Speech is excited to announce its membership in the Global Network Initiative (GNI), joining an influential community of organizations dedicated to advancing free expression and privacy in the digital space. The Global Network Initiative sets a global standard for responsible company […]

Human Rights Here: Platform Liability, Hate Speech, and the Fundamental Right to Free Speech

By Natalie Alkiviadou  Introduction The rise of social media has fundamentally altered the landscape of information dissemination, bypassing traditional editorial and governmental controls. This has allowed for rapid global information sharing but has also raised concerns about the influence of social media platforms, even in democratic societies. Legislative responses, such as Germany’s Network Enforcement Act (NetzDG) […]

Volokh Conspiracy: Book Review: “Fearless Speech” Doesn’t Take First Amendment History Seriously

By Jacob Mchangama via Eugene Volokh I’m delighted to pass along this book review by Prof. Jacob Mchangama (Vanderbilt), who is the author of Free Speech: A History from Socrates to Social Media and other works on free speech; he is also the CEO of The Future of Free Speech and Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Individual Rights and […]

UNESCO: Access to Information, Exemptions and The Public Interest Override

By Joan Barata  Introduction The right to information is a fundamental right that encompasses two main aspects: a) the positive obligation of the public (and some private) bodies to provide, publish, and disseminate information about their main activities, budgets, policies, and plans, and b) the right of all persons to ask public officials for information […]

International Press Institute: Media Freedom and Pluralism in The Republic of Cyprus: An Overview

By Natalie Alkiviadou  Introduction  The piece gives an overview of the situation of media freedom and pluralism in the Republic of Cyprus. The Republic of Cyprus has de jure sovereignty over the entirety of the island. In practice, however, its governance is confined to the southern region while the northern part of the island is administered by the self-proclaimed […]

2024 Formación en contradiscurso — en español — 2024 Counterspeech Trainings (In Spanish)

El contradiscurso es la práctica de responder a un discurso que parece dañino u ofensivo y que adopta muchas formas, incluyendo el discurso de odio, desafiándolo, desacreditándolo o criticándolo, así como a base de amplificar puntos de vista alternativos, proporcionar información precisa y fomentar la empatía y el entendimiento. Durante esta formación, diversos expertos en […]

Information & Communications Technology Law: Platform Liability, Hate Speech and The Fundamental Right to Free Speech

ABSTRACT In contemporary society, the rise of social media has dramatically transformed the sharing of information, bypassing traditional editorial and governmental controls. This shift has enabled rapid global information sharing but also raised concerns about the influence of social media platforms, even in democratic societies. Legislative responses, such as Germany’s Network Enforcement Act of 2017, […]

Silha Lecture: The Free Speech Recession And How to Reverse It: Five Lessons From History

At the 39th annual Silha Lecture, Jacob Mchangama delves into the ongoing debates over speech restrictions, revealing how they mirror arguments of the past. Through five key lessons from history, he unpacks the complexities of free speech in the digital age, offering a nuanced perspective on the challenges we face today. Here are some excerpts […]

Sacramento Bee: Judge Temporarily Blocks New California Election Deepfake Law, Citing First Amendment

By Gillian Brassil California’s new law that allows people to sue over election deepfakes was temporarily blocked by a federal judge. The judge, in granting a preliminary injunction on Wednesday, wrote that the law likely violates the First Amendment given its broad scope, even if digitally-altered media such as by artificial intelligence poses “significant” risks. […]

Ars Technica: Elon Musk Claims Victory after Judge Blocks Calif. Deepfake Law

By Ashley Belanger Upholding the First Amendment, a senior US district judge has blocked California’s deepfakes law, AB 2839, which was designed to stop deceptive AI-generated content from impacting election outcomes. [ . . . ] A First Amendment scholar and senior fellow with the non-partisan think tank The Future of Free Speech, Jeff Kosseff praised […]