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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,…

Together Apart: During Pandemic, Online Groups Are More Important Than Ever

April 17, 2020   •  By Tiffany Donnelly   •  , ,

Although the COVID-19 crisis has made “social distancing” our national mantra, the only separation we need is physical. Thanks to the internet, we can ...

Politicians Concerned About Coronavirus Misinformation Should Look in the Mirror

April 7, 2020   •  By Luke Wachob   •  ,

After watching national and international agencies repeatedly give bad advice to the public about a viral pandemic that could kill hundreds of thousands of ...

Calling All Joke Police: Satire Is Not Disinformation

March 9, 2020   •  By Tiffany Donnelly   •  ,

In the United States, parody, juxtaposition, exaggeration, and comparison have always been considered fair game in politics. But now, under the guise of deterring ...

Foresight is 20/20: Free Speech Developments to Follow This Year

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February 12, 2020   •  By Alex Baiocco   •  , , , , ,

A number of trends that will continue to unfold in 2020 have the potential to significantly impact Americans’ political speech rights. As policymakers, pundits, ...

Facebook is making the right choice on political speech

November 19, 2019   •  By Scott Blackburn   •  ,

Twitter’s strategy shows the cost to free expression that comes when ads are not treated as speech.

Free Speech Means Free Speech

November 6, 2019   •  By Brad Smith   •  ,

Removing a major source of low-cost political advertising from Twitter harms those who don't yet have a large audience but are looking for an ...

Coalition Letter on Civil Rights Concerns about Social Media Monitoring by Law Enforcement

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November 6, 2019   •  By IFS Staff   •  , ,

Often covert and conducted without oversight, social media surveillance gives law enforcement agencies the ability to monitor and archive information on millions of people’s ...

Honest Ads Act Is False Advertising

October 16, 2019   •  By Brad Smith   •  ,

The Honest Ads Act is a needless sacrifice of First Amendment rights, not a serious effort to secure elections.

Facebook’s Ad Policy is Being Weaponized

August 29, 2019   •  By Scott Blackburn   •  ,

Facebook is allowing its ad policy to be weaponized by political operatives to suppress speech they don’t like. And in so doing, the company ...

California’s “Deepfake” Bill is a Bad Omen

July 18, 2019   •  By Luke Wachob   •  , ,

Members of Congress and state legislators alike are worried about “deepfakes” – videos altered by artificial intelligence to make it appear as though someone ...

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