Category: Freedom of Speech and Expression

E.U. Law Sets the Stage for a Clash Over Disinformation

The law, aimed at forcing social media giants to adopt new policies to curb harmful content, is expected to face blowback from Elon Musk, who owns X.
Britain Passes Sweeping New Online Safety Law

The far-reaching bill had set off debates about balancing free speech and privacy rights against efforts to halt the spread of harmful content online.
Appeals Court Rules White House Overstepped 1st Amendment on Social Media

A Fifth Circuit panel partly upheld restrictions on the Biden administration’s communications with online platforms about their content.
Music Videos Promote Niger’s Military After a Coup

Music videos praising the military have proliferated since generals seized power, highlighting the army’s longstanding importance in Niger and popular dissatisfaction with civilian rule.
How Montana’s Attorney General Made Banning TikTok a Top Priority

How one of Montana’s top elected officials made banning the app a top priority, putting the state at the center of a geopolitical storm.
Iran Sentences Director Saeed Roustaee to 6 Months Over Film

The Islamic Revolutionary Court said the director of “Leila’s Brothers,” Saeed Roustaee, and the film’s other producer had been “participating in the opposition’s propaganda.”
Report on Anti-Gay Slur Could Put Wisconsin News Site Out of Business

When a north-central Wisconsin news site reported that a businessman had uttered a homophobic slur, he sued, claiming defamation. The legal bills are piling up.
Sweden Is Not Staying Neutral in Russia’s Information War

The country has empowered a government agency to openly combat online disinformation coming from foreign adversaries, and especially the Kremlin.
An Internet Veteran’s Guide to Not Being Scared of Technology

Mike Masnick, who founded Techdirt in 1998, writes for an influential audience of lawmakers, C.E.O.s and activists. Somehow, he’s still an optimist about the promise of technology.
Social Media Restrictions on Biden Officials Are Paused in Appeal

A Fifth Circuit panel temporarily lifted a judge’s order that had blocked the administration from contacting platforms about most of their content.
Disinformation Researchers Fret About Fallout From Judge’s Order

They said a restriction on government interaction with social media companies could impede efforts to curb false claims about vaccines and voter fraud.
Love Letter: Supreme Court Backs Designer Opposed to Same-Sex Marriage

Plus: a record number of transgender laws, Larry Kramer’s memorial, Vows and Modern Love.