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5th Circuit blocks Texas law requiring websites to filter "harmful" speech
2 days ago
- The US Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled that Texas cannot enforce a law requiring websites to block minors from harmful speech.
- The law's monitoring and filtering requirement was preempted by Section 230 of the federal Communications Decency Act.
- Tech groups CCIA and NetChoice challenged the Texas SCOPE Act and won a preliminary injunction, which the 5th Circuit upheld.
- The court found the requirement would have forced websites to censor broad, vaguely defined categories of lawful speech.
- NetChoice argued that parents, not the government, are best positioned to decide what is appropriate for their families.
Free speech groups demand LA repeal slur ban
5 days ago
- Los Angeles City Council banned the use of the N-word and C-word in meetings in 2025, citing repeated disruptions.
- Two free speech groups, the First Amendment Coalition and FIRE, demand repeal, threatening a lawsuit within 30 days.
- The groups argue the ban violates the First Amendment and California's Brown Act, and that less restrictive alternatives exist.
- The free speech groups represent a resident who was removed from a meeting after using the C-word in protest.
- The council defends the ban using the 'fighting words' doctrine, but critics assert no word is inherently disruptive and the ban risks future censorship.
US Circulates Draft UN Free Speech Declaration Targeting EU Censorship Law
7 days ago
- The Trump administration circulated a draft UN declaration asking governments to stop punishing false speech, arguing it endangers free expression.
- European lawmakers saw the draft as a hostile act because it challenges the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), which mandates platforms to mitigate disinformation risks.
- The DSA imposes fines up to 6% of global revenue on platforms that inadequately address systemic risks like disinformation, leading to a chilling effect on speech.
- US officials claim the DSA creates a censorship regime without due process, while the EU defends it as a democratically enacted sovereign right.
- The draft declaration is nonbinding and does not override any laws, but its criticism of EU policy sparked diplomatic tensions.
- The irony highlighted is that a nonbinding declaration provoked outrage, while the binding DSA can effectively silence speakers through platform pressure.
Flock threatens to sue private group in California that discusses diplomacy, law
19 days ago
- Flock is threatening to sue a private group in Southern California for holding discussions on diplomacy, law, and philosophy.
- The demand includes a prohibition against analyzing or speculating on confirmed security vulnerabilities related to government surveillance.
- The group holds regular Q&A sessions on these topics.
- The application is interactive and requires JavaScript, with simple HTML interfaces not being applicable.
ICE sent officers to a man's home over an email. Now he's suing
22 days ago
- ICE agents visited David Streever's home and served a warning notice over an email he sent criticizing the agency.
- Streever, a U.S. citizen, filed a lawsuit alleging his First Amendment rights were violated by ICE's actions.
- The email, sent to former ICE acting director Todd Lyons, contained strong language but was deemed political speech.
- A second individual, Paigelynne Gonyea, also received a federal warning for social media posts related to an ICE officer.
- Homeland Security stated that doxxing or threatening law enforcement officers would lead to investigation and consequences.
- The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression is representing Streever, arguing the case involves protected free expression.
The Carney government's expanding power to identify Canadians online
23 days ago
- Bill C-22 (Lawful Access Act, 2026) expands government legal tools to identify and track Canadians online, potentially chilling free speech.
- The bill passed with limited parliamentary debate and amendments, raising alarms among civil liberties groups, lawyers, and opposition MPs.
- The UK's similar legal framework results in high arrest rates for online speech, serving as a cautionary example for Canada.
- Bill C-22 allows production orders on 'reasonable grounds to suspect' and mandates service providers to build surveillance capabilities and retain metadata for up to six months.
- Critics argue key provisions are unconstitutional, may weaken encryption, and infringe on privacy without sufficient need demonstrated.
- The bill is part of a broader legislative pattern including Bills C-8 (cybersecurity) and C-9 (hate speech), enhancing state powers over digital activity.
- Privacy advocates warn that foreign data-sharing provisions could facilitate U.S. access to Canadians' data through agreements like the CLOUD Act.
- The Senate review is seen as the final check on the bill, determining its impact on digital rights and alignment with democratic norms.
California's winery shakedown tests limits of free speech, association
23 days ago
- Santa Barbara County created a Wine Business Improvement District requiring wineries to pay a 1% assessment on direct-to-consumer sales and join the Santa Barbara County Vintners Association, a private trade organization.
- The mandate raises legal concerns about compelled speech and association under the First Amendment, as wineries like Flying Goat Cellars are forced to fund advocacy they disagree with, similar to issues addressed in the Supreme Court case Janus v. AFSCME.
- The Goldwater Institute has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Flying Goat Cellars, arguing the requirement violates constitutional protections and could set a precedent for other businesses if not overturned.
- Similar wine districts exist in other California regions, and if the lawsuit fails, mandatory trade association memberships could spread, impacting industries beyond wineries.
- The case highlights broader questions about government overreach and the ability of small businesses to defend their rights, with implications for free speech and economic freedom in California.
Zuckerberg's Increasingly Bizarre War on Whistleblowers
24 days ago
- Mark Zuckerberg's legal attack on whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams includes demanding $111 million and trying to enforce silence, escalating to absurd levels like penalizing her for silent stage appearances.
- Sarah Wynn-Williams's book 'Careless People' exposes Facebook/Meta's misconduct, including enabling genocide in Myanmar, and personal failings of executives like Sheryl Sandberg and Zuckerberg.
- Meta uses nondisclosure, non-disparagement, and binding arbitration clauses to silence ex-employees, with Wynn-Williams now suing to invalidate her contract after extreme compliance efforts.
- Analogies are drawn to Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenka's oppressive tactics, like arresting people for eating ice cream, highlighting how both use fear to suppress dissent.
- The article suggests Meta's harsh treatment of Wynn-Williams aims to terrorize other ex-employees into silence, especially amid layoffs and AI investment failures, despite the Streisand Effect boosting book sales.
Say No to Online Age Verification
a month ago
- Age verification systems require submitting sensitive personal data to third-party companies to access certain online content, starting with adult sites and expanding to social media and beyond.
- Anonymous speech is essential for protecting vulnerable groups like whistleblowers and political dissidents; age verification leads to self-censorship and chills free expression.
- Privacy is compromised as data breaches expose IDs, selfies, and other personal information, with systems enabling surveillance under the guise of child safety.
- Laws mandating age verification have spread globally from Louisiana in 2023 to multiple countries, targeting increasingly broad areas like AI chatbots and VPNs.
- Children's rights to access information and free speech are undermined by age verification, which restricts their ability to explore ideas and seek knowledge online.
- Counterarguments highlight that age verification expands in scope, creates surveillance infrastructure, and fails to protect data, with alternatives like privacy laws and parental controls being more effective.
- Action steps include contacting lawmakers to oppose age verification mandates, using provided email templates to advocate for free expression and privacy.
He sent a harsh email to ICE's top official. Federal agents tracked him down
a month ago
- David Streever sent a harsh email to ICE's acting director Todd Lyons in January, comparing him to a Nazi official after fatal shootings by immigration officers.
- Months later, Homeland Security Investigations agents visited his home and tracked him to a hotel, leaving a warning notice about potential federal law violations.
- Civil liberties advocates criticized the actions as intimidation tactics against protected speech, noting similar incidents like a Syracuse poll worker's case.
- The email was deemed not a threat but protected criticism under the First Amendment, raising concerns about government overreach and surveillance.
- Streever decided to go public with his story, feeling empowered despite the ordeal, and connected with advocates and congressional representatives.

free speech

5th Circuit blocks Texas law requiring websites to filter "harmful" speech

Free speech groups demand LA repeal slur ban

US Circulates Draft UN Free Speech Declaration Targeting EU Censorship Law

Flock threatens to sue private group in California that discusses diplomacy, law

ICE sent officers to a man's home over an email. Now he's suing

The Carney government's expanding power to identify Canadians online

California's winery shakedown tests limits of free speech, association

Zuckerberg's Increasingly Bizarre War on Whistleblowers

Say No to Online Age Verification

He sent a harsh email to ICE's top official. Federal agents tracked him down