UK Commission for Countering Extremism: From Safety Valve to Pressure Cooker

The UK government’s Commission for Countering Extremism commissioned Jacob Mchangama to contribute a piece to a collection of essays called “Countering extremism: defending free speech.” Jacob’s contribution was called, “From safety valve to pressure cooker: when silencing speech fuels extremism.” Read an excerpt below: Introduction: Free Expression as a Safety Valve In 1964, Nelson Mandela […]

The Future of Free Speech’s Public Comment to Missouri AG on Social Media Content Moderation Rule

By Ashkhen Kazaryan Below is an excerpt from our pubic comment. Click here to read the full submission.  Comments on the Rule 15 CSR 60-19 Proposed by the Attorney General of Missouri The Future of Free Speech is an independent, nonpartisan think tank located at Vanderbilt University. We work to reaffirm freedom of expression as the bedrock […]

The Future of Free Speech Responds to Call for Evidence on the ‘European Democracy Shield’

By Alexander Hohlfeld In her speech at the 2024 Copenhagen Democracy Summit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen argued that Europe should not “fight the authoritarians or the extremes at their own game,” but instead “fight them by offering a positive vision of the future” that “protects what we hold dear – our democracy and our […]

The Future of Free Speech’s Public Comment to the FTC on “Tech Censorship”

By Ashkhen Kazaryan Below is an excerpt from our pubic comment. Click here to read the full submission.  In Response to the Federal Trade Commission’s Request for Information: Technology Platform Censorship The Future of Free Speech is an independent, nonpartisan think tank located at Vanderbilt University. We work to reaffirm freedom of expression as the […]

Open Letter Urges UK Home Office to Withdraw Secret Orders Undermining Apple-User Privacy

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 […]

Amicus Brief: Supreme Court Should Overturn TikTok Ban

On December 27, 2024, The Future of Free Speech joined the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, Institute for Justice, Reason Foundation, and several other civil liberties organizations in an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief in urging the Supreme Court to overturn the law banning TikTok. The brief argues that the national ban on […]

Our Submission to The Meta Oversight Board on Policies Regarding Expression about Gender Identity

Background The Future of Free Speech (FoFS)1 is an independent, nonpartisan think tank located at Vanderbilt University. We work to restore a resilient global culture of free speech in the digital age through knowledge, research, and advocacy. FoFS’ comment focuses on the following issues identified by the Oversight Board: The impacts of Meta’s Hate Speech […]

Open Letter to EU Commissioner Thierry Breton Raises Alarm Over DSA’s Threats to Free Speech

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NASHVILLE, Tenn. August 21, 2024 — Today, The Future of Free Speech, TechFreedom, Institute H21, and 15 other signatories issued an open letter to Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for the Internal Market, raising serious concerns about the potential misuse of the Digital Services Act (DSA) to curtail freedom of expression in the […]

The Future of Free Speech Submission to Meta’s Oversight Board on “From the River to the Sea”

Background The Future of Free Speech (FoFS) is an independent, non-partisan think tank located at Vanderbilt University. FoFS’ comment focuses on some of the issues identified by the Oversight Board and particularly Meta’s human rights responsibilities in relation to using the phrase “From the river to the sea”, including freedom of expression, freedom of association, […]

Public hearing on danish ban of improper treatment of objects of significant religious significance to a religious community

Read the public hearing (in danish)   Proposal L133: Arguments against its implementation Restricts freedom of expression: The proposal restricts freedom of expression, as it can be used to punish symbolic expressions critical of religions. This is contrary to the principle of freedom of expression, which is a central pillar of a democratic society and […]