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 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 […]
An Assessment of Social Media Content Removal in France, Germany, and Sweden The over-removal of legal content on social media platforms raises concerns about the chilling effect on free expression and the potential suppression of legitimate discourse online. This report found that a substantial majority (87.5% to 99.7%) of deleted comments on Facebook and YouTube […]
Download the report By Jacob Mchangama and Jordi Calvet-Bademunt Summary Anyone who has tested generative AI with slightly controversial issues is now familiar with expressions such as “I’m unable to help you with that” (Google’s Gemini). Or “I’m not able to generate content that takes a stand on controversial historical or political issues” (Inflection’s […]
Download the report Author: Michael Bang Petersen, Professor of Political Science, Aarhus University, Denmark Executive Summary Exposure to misinformation can change people’s views but often the impact is limited because specific attitudes are often rooted in larger worldviews that are difficult to change. Nonetheless, exposure to misinformation can have a number of other adverse […]
Download the report Executive Summary The global landscape for freedom of expression has faced severe challenges in 2023. Even open democracies have implemented restrictive measures. The European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA) exemplifies this trend, the European Commission’s aggressive enforcement of which has raised concerns among rights groups. The Commission demands the removal of content classified […]
This report sets out the trends and practices across regional and international institutions in relation to their approach towards and handling of hate speech. To do so, it relies on the database of the Global Freedom of Expression initiative at Columbia University and the database of the Future of Free Speech Project (Justitia). It aims […]
Scope Creep: An Assessment of 8 Social Media Platforms’ Hate Speech Policies SUMMARY At the turn of the 21st century, academics, civil society organizations, and governments hailed the promise of the Internet to eliminate any centralized control over speech. A few short decades later, however, this tech utopianism has disappeared. Dominant social media platforms […]
By Joan Barata and Andrei Richter This paper contributes to the discussions surrounding the internet and the challenges of its regulation. It is divided into two parts. Part one documents the international standards that have emerged pertaining to internet shutdowns, and part two explores the relevant case law at the national and international levels. The […]
Thoughts on the DSA: Challenges, Ideas and the Way Forward through International Human Rights Law Abstract National and regional legislative measures/proposals that dramatically enhance platform liability for content developed by users such as the German Network Enforcement Act (NetzDG) and the EU’s proposed Digital Services Act (DSA) place free speech at risk and potentially shrink […]