Speech
Stories
Court Forces German Chancellor Merz to Open Files on 300 “Insult the Chancellor” Cases
The Chancellor who calls himself a defender of democratic norms now has roughly 300 prosecutors working to protect his feelings.
Japan Jails a Man for Publishing Movie Spoilers
Describing a Godzilla movie in too much detail is now worth eighteen months in a Japanese prison.
Turkey to Ban Anonymous VPNs
Ankara wants a VPN market where “approved” means logged and “unlicensed” means illegal, leaving Turkish users a choice between surveillance and a criminal record.
California Lawmakers Advance Bills to Impose AI Chatbot Censorship and Age Verification
California’s new bills would let state lawmakers define, by statute, exactly how agreeable a chatbot is allowed to be.
Ofcom Investigates Telegram Under UK “Online Safety Act”
The regulator’s list of duties runs far beyond child safety into foreign interference, false communications, and public-order speech.
Illinois House Bill Would Force Operating Systems to Check Your Age
Illinois is one Senate vote away from making every laptop in the state card you at setup.
Federal Judge Blocks Arkansas Social Media Law on First Amendment Grounds
The same judge blocked the same state’s second attempt to regulate online speech in as many years.
Judge Blocks Government Pressure on Apple, Meta Over ICE Tracking
The order stops federal officials from leaning on the platforms but leaves Apple and Facebook free to keep the deletions in place.
DOJ Blocks France’s X Probe, Citing First Amendment
The refusal puts American mutual-assistance treaties off the table for European speech prosecutions, and Paris is the first to find out.
Canada’s Carney Revives Online Censorship Bill
The bill that died with Trudeau’s election call is back, and so is the advisory panel that wrote it.
US Bill Mandates On-Device Age Verification
Buried in the definitions is a mandate that reaches every laptop, console, smart TV, and car infotainment system in the country.
FTC Settlement: Ad Agencies Agree to Stop “Brand Safety” Collusion to Defund Media Outlets
The agencies literally quoted Fight Club rules to keep their $81 billion blacklist quiet.
