By Angele Latham The U.S. has fallen from third to ninth place in the global ranking for support of free speech rights since 2021, according to a new study published by The Future of Free Speech at Vanderbilt University. The annual study, titled “Who in the World Supports Free Speech?” surveyed over 52,000 people about their support […]
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 […]
A new global survey by The Future of Free Speech, an independent U.S.-based think tank, has ranked India 24th out of the 33 countries surveyed on the question of support for free speech. Its report, titled ‘Who in the World Supports Free Speech?’ states that “while abstract support for free speech remains strong, commitment to protecting […]
A new survey released by the nonpartisan think tank Future of Free Speech found a 3-percentage-point drop in support for free speech in the U.S., which puts America’s rank at number 9 out of the 33 countries surveyed. The survey tracks global attitudes toward allowing controversial speech, criticism of the government, media freedom, and an […]
By Alejo Schapire In 2022, Danish lawyer Jacob Mchangama (Copenhagen, 1978) published Free Speech: A History from Socrates to Social Media (not yet translated into Spanish), an essay that traces the erratic and bloody struggle for freedom of expression in the East and West, from ancient Greece to social media. In both the book and his podcast , Mchangama […]
By Natalie Alkiviadou On the 7th January 2025, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR/Court) delivered the judgment of Minasyan and Others v. Armenia (2025). It addressed critical issues of hate speech, discrimination and the state’s positive obligations under Article 8 (the right to respect for private and family life) in conjunction with Article 14 (the prohibition of […]
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 […]