Illustration of an AI chat window balanced on scales of justice against an international human rights law document, with users and a shield

Digital Hate Review: Generative AI and Free Speech: The Importance of International Human Rights Law

Posted on by Natalie Alkiviadou in AI, Digital Regulation, Global Free Speech, Hate Speech, Journal, Online Content Moderation, Publications

By Natalie Alkiviadou Introduction Generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems are increasingly becoming embedded within everyday communication, information access, research, education, and public discourse. Tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and Meta AI are widely used by the public. Crucially, these systems function as intermediaries through which millions of users search for information, summarize material, […]

Illustration of community clusters linked through a woven network to a social media feed, with scales and a subscription icon

arXiv: Community by Design

Posted on by Jacob Mchangama in Digital Regulation, Journal, Online Content Moderation, Publications, Tools for Empowerment

By E. Glen Weyl, Luke Thorburn, Emillie de Keulenaar, Jacob Mchangama, Divya Siddarth, and Audrey Tang Abstract Social media empower distributed content creation by algorithmically harnessing “the social fabric” (explicit and implicit signals of association) to serve this content. While this overcomes the bottlenecks and biases of traditional gatekeepers, many believe it has unsustainably eroded […]

“That Violates My Policies”: AI Laws, Chatbots, and the Future of Expression | 2026 Edition

Posted on by Jordi Calvet-Bademunt, Isabelle Anzabi, Jacob Mchangama, Ashkhen Kazaryan, Dr. Eliza Bechtold, Emmanuel Vargas Penagos, Francesca Chocano Villanueva, Katalin Kelemen, Lina Palacios, Matías González Mama, Sandi Rizvic, Tomiwa Ilori, Trịnh Hữu Long and Yaman Akdeniz in AI, Digital Regulation, Featured Publications, Global Free Speech, Online Content Moderation, Publications, Reports

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 […]

International Conference on Machine Learning: AI Usage Policies Should Be Aligned with International Human Rights Law

Posted on by Jordi Calvet-Bademunt in AI, Digital Regulation, disinformation, Journal, Online Content Moderation, Publications

By Jordi Calvet-Bademunt Abstract Concerns about misinformation and disinformation are central to debates on the governance of generative AI services, yet guidance on when and how providers should restrict mis/disinformation while respecting freedom of expression remains underdeveloped. AI usage policies are a primary mechanism of user guidance and, in practice, operate as a form of […]

That Violates My Policies: AI Laws, Chatbots, and The Future of Expression

Posted on by Jordi Calvet-Bademunt, Jacob Mchangama, Isabelle Anzabi, Ge Chen, Sangeeta Mahapatra, Kyung Sin (K.S.) Park, Carlos Affonso Souza, Jacob Shapiro, Kevin T. Greene and Carlos Olea in AI, Digital Regulation, Featured Publications, Global Free Speech, Online Content Moderation, Publications, Reports

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 […]

Policy Paper Series: I Built This Algo Brick By Brick

Posted on by Ashkhen Kazaryan in Digital Regulation, Featured Publications, First Amendment, Online Content Moderation, Publications, Reports

Why You Should Care About Algorithms, Free Speech, and Section 230 “I built this algo brick by brick.” You might have seen that sentence in the comments section while scrolling TikTok’s “For You Page” or Instagram Reels. It usually appears as a humorous reference to the fact that the commenter is seeing something in their […]

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

Posted on by Ashkhen Kazaryan in Consultation responses, Digital Regulation, First Amendment, Online Content Moderation, Publications

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’

Posted on by The Future of Free Speech in Consultation responses, Digital Regulation, disinformation, Global Free Speech, Online Content Moderation, Publications

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”

Posted on by Ashkhen Kazaryan in Consultation responses, Digital Regulation, Online Content Moderation, Publications

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 […]

Information & Communications Technology Law: Platform Liability, Hate Speech and The Fundamental Right to Free Speech

Posted on by Natalie Alkiviadou in Digital Regulation, Hate Speech, Journal, Online Content Moderation, Publications

ABSTRACT In contemporary society, the rise of social media has dramatically transformed the sharing of information, bypassing traditional editorial and governmental controls. This shift has enabled rapid global information sharing but also raised concerns about the influence of social media platforms, even in democratic societies. Legislative responses, such as Germany’s Network Enforcement Act of 2017, […]