TikTok ban would weaken press freedom
AP Photo/Tommy Martino
Efforts to undermine First Amendment rights on the internet and to censor online content are a fundamental threat to the free press.
When lawmakers try to censor online speech or entire platforms, it harms the First Amendment rights on which journalists rely.
Most people get their news online, and the internet and social media are especially important for independent and citizen journalists who publish there. Anyone who cares about press freedom should also oppose attempts to undermine free speech online.
Featured Items
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Tech companies platform the First Amendment
Substack and Amazon Web Services’ First Amendment defense of journalist Jack Poulson should be a model for other platforms
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Encryption should be part of every journalist’s toolkit
Journalists explain how encryption promotes press freedom by keeping their sources and information secure.
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Incarcerating the internet: Social media bans censor journalists in prison
They allow prison officials to avoid scrutiny under the guise of security. And the federal government wants to expand them.
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Supreme Court reaffirms press precedent in social media cases
Decision in two cases challenging state laws that restrict social media content moderation contain important wins for journalists and news outlets, but questions on TikTok loom
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Bipartisan anti-terrorism bill could silence nonprofit media
Alarming legislation would allow Congress to deem news outlets supporters of terrorism without due process
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Americans disturbed by Israel’s Al Jazeera ban should oppose censorship at home
The news outlet’s silencing serves as a cautionary tale for the U.S., following its flurry of censorial bills and court cases
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Congress can’t ban TikTok ‘just in case’
Barring the platform would set a precedent for all sorts of future censorship, including bans on foreign news sites
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Supreme Court social media cases could put some First Amendment claims in the firing line
Oral arguments in the NetChoice cases hint at outcomes that could uphold key free press precedents but still seriously impact certain First Amendment lawsuits
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The Kids Online Safety Act will censor student journalists
Celebrate Student Press Freedom Day by telling Congress not to pass this self-defeating bill
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Global censorship campaign raises alarms
The scope of self-censorship by the U.S. and international press in response to an Indian court order is a disturbing sign for the future
