By Jacob Mchangama A recent spate of neo-Nazi demonstrations in Nashville has heightened tensions in an already polarized political environment. Fortunately, there has been bipartisan condemnation of these vile and obscene efforts to promote hatred in our community. However, some Tennessee public officials want to go beyond condemnation, claiming that “hate speech is not free […]
By Jordi Calvet-Bademunt Overview: The European Commission issued the first-of-its-kind preliminary findings under the Digital Services Act (DSA). X was accused of employing a deceptive user interface, failing to adhere to advertising transparency requirements, and failing to provide researchers with adequate access to data. X now has the opportunity to respond to these preliminary findings. […]
Featuring Natalie Alkiviadou Senior Research Fellow Natalie Alkiviadou joins The Lembit Öpik Show for TNT Radio to discuss a proposed “fake news” bill in Cyprus. The bill, which Dr. Alkiviadou wrote about at Verfassungsblog, would impose a prison sentence of up to five years for those accused of spreading disinformation. Alkiviadou expresses concern about the […]
By Jordi Calvet-Bademunt Last Friday, the European Commission shared with X its preliminary view that it is breaching the Digital Services Act (DSA), Europe’s online safety rulebook. Following the announcement, some media were quick to say that the Commission had charged “Elon Musk’s X for letting disinfo run wild.” In a conspiratorial tone, Elon Musk […]
By Natalie Alkiviadou A Proposal to Criminalize Fake News in Cyprus In Cyprus, a new legislative proposal introduces a prison sentence of up to five years on those spreading fake news. I argue that criminally punishing fake news is absolutely horrifying for free speech, for media pluralism, and for democracy. Criminalizing fake news is, to say […]
By J.D. Tuccille In May, the New York State government agreed to subsidize news media. With audiences declining for news reports, many Very Concerned People have called on governments to Do Something to prop up outlets failing to win enough public support to keep the lights on. That something comes in the form of money […]
By Jeff Kosseff Though the opinion is likely not the final word on the Texas and Florida laws, it’s an important statement that the Court will not set different rules for online and offline speech. Although the Supreme Court’s opinion in Moody v. NetChoice and NetChoice v. Paxton reserved final judgment on state laws that restrict online content moderation, the […]
Nashville, Tenn., July 1, 2024 — Today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decisions in Moody v. NetChoice and NetChoice v. Paxton. The Future of Free Speech, a nonpartisan think tank located at Vanderbilt University, has issued the following statement, attributable to Senior Fellow Jeff Kosseff: “A majority of the Supreme Court signed on to the […]
By Jacob Mchangama In the age of ubiquitous social media, the power to shape public discourse lies in the hands of a few digital giants. Yet, recent European regulations intended to curb “torrents of hate” online could be stifling free expression. As policymakers tout these measures as necessary for a safer internet, a critical question […]
By Joan Barata 1. Introduction The recent adoption of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA)[1] has been presented by European institutions as an important step forward in the effective protection of freedom of the media in the continent. The European Commission considers this Regulation as a culmination of some sort within a series of measures to […]