Tech Policy Press: New United Nations Cybercrime Convention Sets Unprecedented International Anti-Human Rights Standard

Posted on by Joan Barata in Digital Regulation, Global Free Speech, News, Online Content Moderation, Our Perspectives

By Joan Barata After two years of intense negotiations, the new United Nations (UN) Convention on “Strengthening international cooperation for combating certain crimes committed by means of information and communications technology systems and for the sharing of evidence in electronic form of serious crimes” (also known as the Cybercrime Convention) was adopted by consensus by […]

The Conversation: Americans Love Free Speech, Survey Finds − Until They Realize Everyone Else Has It, Too

Posted on by Jacob Mchangama and John G. Geer in Culture, First Amendment, News, Our Perspectives

By Jacob Mchangama and John G. Geer Americans’ views on free speech change directions every so often. One of those times was during the protests at U.S. universities about the Israel-Hamas war. As scholars of free speech and public opinion, we set out to find out what happened and why. The Supreme Court itself, as […]

The Tennessean: Nashville Leaders Should Condemn Neo-Nazis But Avoid New Laws That Will Stifle Free Speech

Posted on by Jacob Mchangama in First Amendment, Free Speech History, Global Free Speech, Hate Speech, News, Our Perspectives

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 […]

Tech Policy Press: Digital Services Act Roundup: June – July 2024

Posted on by Jordi Calvet-Bademunt in Digital Regulation, Global Free Speech, News, Our Perspectives

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. […]

Tech Policy Press: DSA Showdown: Unpacking the EU’s Preliminary Findings Against X

Posted on by Jordi Calvet-Bademunt in Digital Regulation, Global Free Speech, News, Online Content Moderation, Our Perspectives

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 […]

Verfassungsblog: Prison for Fake News

Posted on by Natalie Alkiviadou in Disinformation, Global Free Speech, News, Our Perspectives, Press Freedom

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 […]

Lawfare: In NetChoice Cases, SCOTUS Reaffirms Limits to Government Intervention With Online Speech

Posted on by Jeff Kosseff in Digital Regulation, First Amendment, News, Our Perspectives

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 […]

Tech Policy Press: Most Comments Deleted From Social Media Platforms in Germany, France, and Sweden Were Legal Speech — Why That Should Raise Concerns for Free Expression Online

Posted on by Jacob Mchangama in Digital Regulation, Global Free Speech, News, Online Content Moderation, Our Perspectives

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 […]

Media Laws: Will the EMFA Improve Freedom of Expression, Media Pluralism, and Media Independence in Europe?

Posted on by Joan Barata in Global Free Speech, News, Our Perspectives, Press Freedom

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 […]

Tech Policy Press: Digital Services Act Roundup: April – May 2024

Posted on by Jordi Calvet-Bademunt in Digital Regulation, Global Free Speech, News, Our Perspectives

By Jordi Calvet-Bademunt Overview: In April and May, the European Commission opened three formal proceedings involving very large online platforms (VLOPs), two against Meta and one against TikTok. Also, starting in April, Pornhub, Stripchat, and XVideos began complying with the Digital Services Act’s (DSA) VLOP rules after being designated in December 2023. Moreover, Shein, an online […]