Institute For Free Speech
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Internet Speech: A Boon to Civic Engagement
January 1, 2018  •  By IFS Staff  •    •  

The internet is an empowering and diversifying medium capable of uplifting marginalized voices. It has allowed more Americans to meaningfully participate in political dialogue and access more information and speech than ever before. It has enabled the average person to initiate and participate in movements for political and social change and to challenge power and authority. In the internet age,…

Social Media Crackdown Raises Free Speech Concerns

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January 25, 2021   •  By Brad Smith   •  ,

Recent decisions by social media companies to ban or suspend former President Donald Trump and others from their platforms are legally protected. The First ...

Facebook takes the muzzle off Georgia Senate races, but is it too late?
December 18, 2020   •  By Tiffany Donnelly   •  , ,

For over six weeks, Facebook held two Senate races hostage, blocking four candidates from reaching Georgia voters with ads before next month’s election. On ...

Facebook’s Political Ad Blackout Is Terrible for Democracy
October 28, 2020   •  By Alec Greven   •  , ,

This week, Facebook began shutting out thousands of voices from discussions on political or social issues. The company’s blackout on new political and issue ...

Letter to Londonderry, New Hampshire Town Council Concerning Councilors’ First Amendment Rights
October 23, 2020   •  By Owen Yeates   •  , , ,

The Londonderry, New Hampshire Town Council has warned Town Councilors that they are not to comment on public matters on social media or in ...

Facebook and Twitter Become Arbiters of Truth
October 16, 2020   •  By Scott Blackburn   •  ,

After years of claiming otherwise, Facebook and Twitter have succumbed to partisan pressure and begun openly deciding what is and is not true by ...

Just in Time for Halloween: The Social Dilemma Frightens with the Fictional Monsters of Big Tech
October 15, 2020   •  By Tiffany Donnelly   •  ,

The Netflix documentary, The Social Dilemma, is making waves. The main takeaway is that tech companies are stealthily controlling us by using sneaky product ...

Facebook’s Political Ad Ban Will Harm Challengers and Block Useful Information
October 5, 2020   •  By Alex Baiocco   •  , ,

Facebook’s recent decision to ban any new political and issue ads from running the week before Election Day is a predictable result of elected ...

“Revoke 230”: The Two Words That Could Destroy the Internet
July 1, 2020   •  By Nathan Maxwell   •  ,

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 shields internet platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and your local newspaper from liability for the content ...

The harm of blocking political Facebook ads
June 23, 2020   •  By Luke Wachob   •  ,

This piece originally appeared in the Washington Examiner on June 23, 2020.   It’s true in life and politics: You don’t know what you ...

The Federalist’s Disappearing Comments Section Is a Preview of What Happens if We Revoke Section 230
June 19, 2020   •  By Luke Wachob   •  ,

Conservatives in favor of changing Section 230 argue that web platforms would be less likely to censor voices on the right if their protection ...

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