In the 2026 edition of our report, we explore how public governance of generative artificial intelligence (AI) shapes the space for free expression and access to information. Since OpenAI launched ChatGPT in November 2022, generative AI has moved from a novelty to a tool embedded in everyday communication and information access. As its reach has […]
By Natalie Alkiviadou and Jacob Mchangama Introduction In Germany, an artist and activist was arrested multiple times, once for wearing a Palestinian flag and again for holding a sign that read “from the river to the sea, we demand equality.” [1] In France, a mayor was held criminally liable, not for what he said, but […]
Executive Summary Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed the way people access information and create content, pushing us to consider whether existing frameworks remain fit for purpose. Less than three years after ChatGPT’s launch, hundreds of millions of users now rely on models from OpenAI and other companies for learning, entertainment, and work. Against a […]
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 […]
Abstract This paper critically assesses the European approach to regulating online hate speech through platform liability frameworks, focusing on Germany’s Network Enforcement Act (NetzDG) and the European Union’s Digital Services Act. It argues that these laws, while aiming to curb online harm, risk infringing on the right to freedom of expression and non-discrimination by delegating […]
In Hate Speech and the European Court of Human Rights, Natalie Alkiviadou argues that the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) should reconsider its approach to hate speech cases and develop a robust protection of freedom of expression as set out in the benchmark case of Handyside v the United Kingdom. In that case, the […]
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 […]
Free Speech: A History from Socrates to Social Media, the critically acclaimed book by Jacob Mchangama, has returned in a new paperback edition. Originally released in 2022, this celebrated work is hailed as “the best history of free speech ever written” by P.J. O’Rourke and called “smart, insightful, and astute” by the Los Angeles Review of […]
THE FUTURE OF FREE SPEECH INDEX 2025 The Future of Free Speech Index is a composite measure based on answers to eight questions about the willingness to allow controversial speech, criticism of the government, media freedom, and an open Internet. Executive Summary Free speech is a cornerstone of democracy, a fundamental right that empowers individuals […]
By Joan Barata From Eric Heinze, Natalie Alkiviadou, Tom Herrenberg, Sejal Parmar and Ioanna Tourkochoriti (eds) The Oxford Handbook of Hate Speech, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2024-25 Abstract The contemporary challenges to freedom of expression are multifaceted and complex, with traditional regulatory frameworks being stretched by new dynamics in the digital realm. This paper explores […]