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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,…

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 ...

Yes, Politicians, “False” Speech About You Is Protected by the First Amendment

June 16, 2020   •  By Alex Baiocco   •  , , ,

Many false statements are protected by the First Amendment, for good reason. Determining whether political statements or ads are false or deceptive is often ...

Trump, not Twitter, is the biggest threat to free speech

May 29, 2020   •  By David Keating   •  ,

The only threat to the First Amendment here is the president’s threat to retaliate against Twitter. Private companies have the right to speak. Social ...

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