Protect Journalism Online

TikTok influencer in Montana after the ban was issued - AP23187638051023

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

  1. BBC Russia onion service, distorted

    How independent and international news orgs are circumventing censorship in Russia

    Online Censorship • Article

    Russia has cracked down extensively on independent reporting within its borders since it invaded Ukraine last month, leading many outlets to cease publishing or pull editorial staff from the country entirely. Still, international and independent news outlets that would face official censorship within Russia are finding ways to distribute uncensored news to avid readers.

    Parker Higgins
  4. Aaron Swartz addressing the crowd at a protest against the Stop Online Piracy Act

    One of the Internet’s most impactful protests, a decade later

    Online Censorship • Article

    Ten years ago, a powerful online activism campaign against the proposed Stop Online Piracy Act stopped the bill in its tracks, much to the surprise of the lobbyists and legislators who had considered its passage inevitable. Led by grassroots organizers and civil liberties groups, sites big and small “went dark” for the day in a “blackout” designed to draw attention to the issue and direct calls to Washington.

    Parker Higgins
  6. Two men at a computer

    When algorithms come for journalists

    Online Censorship • Article

    Journalists — especially those without institutional newsroom support — rely on tools from major tech companies like Google and YouTube for newsgathering, production and distribution as a matter of course. As these information giants publicly wrestle with controversial content moderation decisions that dominate headlines and Congressional hearings, their decisions also run the risk of stifling routine reporting.

    Parker Higgins

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A woman holding a Yes to Free Press sign