Has Europe’s crackdown on free speech become a bigger threat to democracy than ‘the extremists’ it seeks to contain? By Jacob Mchangama On the morning of November 26, three armed police officers showed up at the Berlin apartment of American playwright C.J. Hopkins. They presented a warrant, seized his computer, and questioned both him and […]
By Jacob Mchangama and Jordi Calvet-Bademunt The Trump administration is waging a public crusade against so-called “woke AI,” emphasizing the need for “neutral models” that engage in “truth seeking” instead of promoting certain (left-leaning) biases. We recently warned that such actions pose significant risks to free expression. Many Europeans are likely to roll their eyes […]
By Naomi Lim Jacob Mchangama, executive director of the Future of Free Speech, told the Washington Examiner he “completely” understood why “people are repulsed” by those celebrating Kirk’s death, but underscored that “there’s a difference between moral condemnation and criminal persecution.” “What I think is particularly ironic is that this administration has been, and I […]
By Natalie Alkiviadou As you roll out of bed, enjoy your morning coffee, and scroll through the comment sections on social media’s biggest stories, you are confronted with the reality that a lot of false information and bigotry is being posted online. Although this feeling resonates with many people — including global leaders who believe […]
By Jacob Mchangama Last Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio went on X to announce the immediate revocation of the visa of Brazilian Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes, as well as “his allies on the court [and] their immediate family members.” What drove Rubio to take such a drastic step against leading members of the […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
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. […]