By Jacob Mchangama and Ashkhen Kazaryan A new bill in Congress threatens to dictate what Americans can read, watch and say online. On May 8, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah and Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., introduced the “Interstate Obscenity Definition Act” (IODA) — a recycled attempt to ban online pornography nationwide. While concerns about pornography, including moral and religious ones, […]
By Elizabeth Nolan Brown Who could possibly oppose legislation to get tough on AI-generated revenge porn? For one, Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, one of two nays in Monday’s House vote on the TAKE IT DOWN Act. For another, a whole bunch of civil liberties advocates, including folks with groups like the American Civil Liberties Union, the Electronic […]
By Jordi Calvet-Bademunt As the US and EU shape their AI frameworks, they should consider lessons from recent experiences. The fear-driven narrative surrounding AI and the most recent elections, where AI-created content had limited impact, should caution policymakers against rushing ahead on laws that may unintentionally undermine democratic values. Policymakers crafting the forthcoming US Action […]
Originally published in Portuguese. A rough English translation is below. To read a longer version of this article, check out The Bedrock Principle. By Jacob Mchangama and Jeff Kosseff In 2019, Dias Toffoli , then president of the Supreme Federal Court, appointed Alexandre de Moraes to lead an inquiry into “fraudulent news, slanderous accusations and threats against the Court, […]
As the debate over Nepal’s Social Network Bill-2081 intensifies, UNESCO has weighed in with its official review, published on Monday. The initiative is part of UNESCO’s ongoing partnership with the federal parliament of Nepal to enhance the legal framework for media and digital platforms. According to UNESCO Nepal office, the official review was shared with National […]
UNESCO, in collaboration with the Federal Parliament Secretariat, organized a discussion on the Social Media Bill 2081 with Members of Parliament from the National Assembly and House of Representatives. The workshop, held on February 5–6, convened parliamentarians from various parliamentary committees alongside national and international experts to review key elements of the proposed legislation and […]
We have partnered with TechFreedom and seven other civil society organizations to send two open letters addressing secret UK government orders pressuring Apple to break encryption on users’ cloud storage worldwide. Our letter to the UK Home Office warns that undermining encryption—a vital safeguard for free expression—violates the European Convention on Human Rights. Meanwhile, our […]
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance’s accusations of censorship have angered Europeans. Many Americans, however, believe he is right—even though the White House itself restricts free speech. By Fabian Fellmann [ . . . ] Trump’s Own Assault on the Press More free speech would benefit Europe, agrees Jacob Mchangama. “Europe sees free expression too much […]
By Jacob Mchangama Last week, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance shocked an A-list group of European political and military leaders at the Munich Security Conference in Germany with a blunt message: Europe has gone too far in restricting speech. According to Vance, the main threat against European security does not emanate from Russia or China, but […]
By Joan Barata Voting manipulation through social media platforms. Illegal campaign financing on TikTok. Cyber-attacks. Suspected Russian interference. The circumstances around Romania’s troubled December presidential election bear all the hallmarks of a modern political thriller. But the circumstances around the election and its annulment also present an opportunity to consider the application of Europe’s Digital Services Act […]