A dangerous time to attack whistleblowers
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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Copyright abuses preview a world without Section 230
Congress should not encourage censorship whenever someone baselessly alleges defamation
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UnAmerican RESTRICT Act would enable mass censorship
It’s embarrassing that elected officials actually support this unconstitutional mess
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Unconstitutional TikTok ban would open the door to press censorship
Speculation about spying can’t justify restraining speech
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Outrageous social media laws await Supreme Court
Key First Amendment protections face challenges from Texas and Florida.
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How independent and international news orgs are circumventing censorship in Russia
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.
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In its quest to censor war reporting, the Russian government has dismantled all semblance of press freedom
Journalists at independent news outlets in Russia have been arrested, raided, censored, and forced to flee in the past week.
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Undead EARN IT Act poses newly urgent threat to press freedom
After public backlash led to a major defeat in 2020, lawmakers are now attempting to rush the anti-privacy legislation through the Senate.
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One of the Internet’s most impactful protests, a decade later
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.
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PayPal and Venmo enforcement procedures threaten First Amendment protected speech
PayPal and its subsidiary Venmo must bring more transparency and accountability to its practices around account freezes and closures, argues a new letter signed by Freedom of the Press Foundation and nearly two dozen human rights and civil liberties groups.
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When algorithms come for journalists
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.
