By Marc Thibodeau (Rough English Translation) Pressure on social networks in Europe to restrict hateful content online is leading to the unnecessary removal of an alarming number of perfectly legal messages, denounces an American organization defending freedom of expression. In a new study, researchers from The Future of Free Speech point out that more than […]
By Jordi Calvet-Bademunt and Joan Barata This piece is part of a series that marks the first 100 days since the full implementation of Europe’s Digital Services Act. You can read more items in the series here. The adoption of the Digital Services Act (DSA) represented a major development within the context of the EU and beyond. Based […]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NASHVILLE, Tenn. May 28, 2024 —Digital regulations in France, Germany and Sweden could be stifling free expression on social media platforms, according to a new report by The Future of Free Speech at Vanderbilt University. The report, titled “Preventing ‘Torrents of Hate’ or Stifling Free Expression Online? An Assessment of Social Media […]
By J.D. Tuccille You have to respect anybody willing to tell powerful government officials to get stuffed, and tech titan Elon Musk is pretty good at doing exactly that. While sometimes thin-skinned himself and not always consistent in his free speech principles, the head of social media platform X (formerly Twitter) is the best of […]
By Jordi Calvet-Bademunt Overview: The Digital Services Act (DSA), Europe’s online safety rulebook, finally became applicable to all companies on February 17, 2024. Until then, it only applied to the so-called very large online platforms (VLOPs) and very large online search engines (VLOSEs). February 17th was also the date EU Member States were required to designate […]
By Jacob Mchangama 2024 is a pivotal year for the future of global democracy, as some two billion—about half the adult population of the globe—will have the chance to vote. Even though more people will cast a ballot in 2024 than any previous year, the prevailing mood seems more fearful than celebratory. In the words of […]
In Semafor’s new breaking news feed “Signals,” Diego Mendoza cites a Tech Policy Press article by Joan Barata and Jordi Calvet-Bademunt: Content moderation laws seen as threatening freedom of speech Sources: Politico, American Principles Project, Tech Policy Press Moves by the United States and the EU to tighten regulations around who can access perceived harmful […]
By Jacob Mchangama and Caroline James A new Bill working its way through the South African Parliament has the potential to dramatically alter the freedom of speech environment in the country. The General Intelligence Laws Amendment Bill (Gilab) threatens to introduce security vetting of individuals and institutions ‘of national security interest’ and creates a bulk […]
By Jeff Kosseff Last year, the Supreme Court had a chance to interpret Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act for the first time. The Court was hearing Gonzalez v. Google, in which the lower court held that the 1996 law shielded Google from a lawsuit filed by the family of an Islamic State shooting victim. During oral […]
Background. The European Commission has been busy at work since the entry of the Digital Services Act (DSA) into force in November 2022. The DSA aims to create “a safe, predictable and trusted online environment.” To do so, it imposes a number of due process, transparency, and due diligence obligations on online companies, referred to by the law […]