free speech

6:27 pm on September 22, 2026 · 2026 (285), ai (67), free speech (13), netcaucus (21)

HYBRID 22 SEP 16:00 UTC: Internet Caucus Academy – AI, Speech, and the First Amendment: Where Are the Constitutional Lines?

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Dark blue Congressional Internet Caucus Academy event title card with the organization’s white logo at upper left and the date September 22, 2026 at upper right. Large bold white text reads “AI, Speech, and the First Amendment: Where Are the Constitutional Lines?” The hashtag #aifreespeech and social media handle @NetCaucusAC appear at lower left.

Dark blue Congressional Internet Caucus Academy event title card with the organization’s white logo at upper left and the date September 22, 2026 at upper right. Large bold white text reads “AI, Speech, and the First Amendment: Where Are the Constitutional Lines?” The hashtag #aifreespeech and social media handle @NetCaucusAC appear at lower left.
VIDEO | AUDIO | RECAP | ARCHIVE | PERMALINK

On 22 September 2026, the Congressional Internet Caucus Academy hosted a lunchtime briefing for congressional staff and tech policy leaders, ‘AI, Speech, and the First Amendment: Where Are the Constitutional Lines?‘, in person at Rayburn 2045 on Capitol Hill and livestreamed.

As Congress considers how to respond to the risks of artificial intelligence, from discrimination to deceptive content and unsafe outputs, lawmakers are increasingly confronting a threshold question: when does AI regulation regulate conduct, and when does it regulate speech? The briefing examined the emerging First Amendment questions raised by AI systems, including chatbot outputs, transparency mandates, model restrictions, and civil rights enforcement. Panelists discussed where constitutional concerns are most likely to arise, where regulation may be on firmer ground, and how courts may approach these issues as AI policy moves from theory to litigation.

INTRODUCTION
Tim Lordan – Executive Director, Congressional Internet Caucus Academy

SPEAKERS
Megan Iorio – Senior Counsel, Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)
Kate Ruane – Director, Free Expression, Center for Democracy & Technology
Corbin Barthold – Senior Litigation Fellow, NetChoice

MODERATOR
Cristiano Lima-Strong – Senior AI & Government Reporter, Bloomberg Government

#FirstAmendment #AIPolicy #FreeSpeech

6:41 pm on July 2, 2026 · 2026 (285), eff (15), free speech (13)

WEBINAR 8 JUL 16:00 UTC – CELE UP / EFF – Is Freedom of Expression Dead? Rethinking Free Speech in Times of Authoritarianism

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Promotional graphic for an event titled “Is Freedom of Expression Dead? Rethinking Free Speech in Times of Authoritarianism,” scheduled for 8 July 2026. The background shows a blurred image of a document labeled “FREEDOM OF SPEECH” with a judge’s gavel resting across it, creating a dark, serious tone. At the top are the logos for Universidad de Palermo CELE and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). Large white text in the foreground presents the event title and date.

Promotional graphic for an event titled “Is Freedom of Expression Dead? Rethinking Free Speech in Times of Authoritarianism,” scheduled for 8 July 2026. The background shows a blurred image of a document labeled “FREEDOM OF SPEECH” with a judge’s gavel resting across it, creating a dark, serious tone. At the top are the logos for Universidad de Palermo CELE and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). Large white text in the foreground presents the event title and date.
REGISTER | ADD TO CALENDAR | PERMALINK

On Wednesday, 8 July 2026, at 13:00-14:00 ART (16:00-17:00 UTC), the Center for Studies in Freedom of Expression (CELE) at the University of Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina, together with the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), will host a webinar ‘Is Freedom of Expression Dead? Rethinking Free Speech in Times of Authoritarianism‘

The panel will address critical issues from the perspective of different stakeholders, such as security-based restrictions on freedom of expression, colluding interests between states and online platforms, the role of states in protecting and promoting freedom of expression in times of democratic backsliding, and the use of indirect means to weaken intermediary liability immunities.

The session will be conducted in English.

SPEAKERS
Irene Khan – UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression
Irina Schoulgin Nyoni – Ambassador for Human Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law, Sweden
Chantal Joris – Acting Head of Law and Policy, ARTICLE 19
David Greene – Senior Counsel, EFF

#FreedomOfExpression #FreeSpeech #DigitalRights

11:33 am on October 1, 2025 · free culture (25), free expression (6), free speech (13)

RECORDING – Book Discussion – The Cambridge Handbook of the Right to Freedom of Thought

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ISOC LIVE

ISOC LIVEYOUTUBE | PATREON | SUMMARY | TRANSCRIPT | ARCHIVE | PERMALINK

On September 9, 2025, Global Freedom of Expression at Columbia University hosted a virtual book discussion ‘The Cambridge Handbook of the Right to Freedom of Thought‘. The right to freedom of thought is increasingly invoked in debates on emerging technologies —such as neurotechnology and artificial intelligence— yet its scope, content, and application remain poorly understood. This Handbook, edited by Patrick O’Callaghan and Bethany Shiner, offers a pioneering effort to map how the right is protected, interpreted, and applied across the globe. It examines eighteen jurisdictions and includes chapters that provide essential context, interdisciplinary perspectives, and in-depth analysis of the right in relation to specific challenges and conceptual questions.

Welcome and Introductiom
Hawley Johnson – Associate Director, Columbia Global Freedom of Expression.

PANEL I: Introduction to the Handbook
Bethany Shiner – Senior Lecturer in Law, Middlesex University
Patrick O’Callaghan – Professor of Law, University College Cork
Lautaro Furfaro – Senior Legal Researcher, Columbia Global Freedom of Expression / Professor of International Human Rights Law and Philosophical Foundations of Human Rights, University of Buenos Aires.
Discussant: Ahmed Shaheed – Professor of International Human Rights Law, School of Law and Human Rights Centre, University of Essex

PANEL II: Regional Perspectives on Freedom of Thought
Inter-American System
Bethany Shiner – Senior Lecturer in Law, Middlesex University
Discussant: Lautaro Furfaro, Senior Legal Researcher, Columbia Global Freedom of Expression/ Professor of International Human Rights Law and Philosophical Foundation of Human Rights, University of Buenos Aires
European System
Felicitas Benziger – Post-doctoral researcher, University College Cork.
Discussant: Brian Frenkel, Professor of the European and African Human Rights Systems, University of Buenos Aires.
African System
Sfiso Benard Nxumalo – Reading for a Doctor of Philosophy in Law, Oxford University.
Discussant: Caroline James, Editor, Columbia Global Freedom of Expression / Advocacy Coordinator, AmaBhugane Center for Investigative Journalism

Closing Remarks
Nazila Ghanea – United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief

BUY THE BOOK! (20% Discount code – TCHRFT25)

10:00 pm on October 14, 2024 · columbiagfoe (5), free speech (13), hong kong (4)

WEBCAST OCT 16 – The Power of Song: Repercussions for Freedom of Expression and Digital Rights in Hong Kong

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isoc liveOn Wednesday, October 16 2024 at 09:00-10:30 EDT (13:00-14:30 UTC) Columbia Global Freedom of Expression (CGFoE), along with co-sponsors Georgetown Center for Asian Law and ARTICLE 19, present a webinar ‘The Power of Song: Repercussions for Free Speech and Digital Freedoms in Hong Kong‘

Earlier this year, a Hong Kong Court banned the dissemination of “Glory to Hong Kong,” a popular protest “anthem,” which had become an important symbol of dissent in Hong Kong. Between 2019 and 2022, the song was regularly used by protesters in over 400 demonstrations, and versions of it were erroneously promoted as the national anthem of Hong Kong, leading to arrests and prosecution for illegal activities and sedition. The song was available through online music streaming platforms, receiving millions of views. In 2023, the Secretary for Justice sought an injunction to prevent the “broadcasting, performing, printing, publishing, selling, distributing, displaying, or reproducing the song with the intent to incite secession or seditious intention, as defined by NSL (National Security Law) and the Crimes Ordinance in Hong Kong.”

The case highlights the struggle within the Hong Kong judiciary to hold on to its independence in the face of immense pressure from the Chinese authorities. Last year, the Court of First Instance dismissed the application, finding that despite the fundamental importance of national security, the injunction was not necessary and balanced unfavorably against individual rights. However, in May 2024, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Court of Appeal justified the use of a civil injunction as necessary to assist the criminal law in safeguarding national security, deferring to the executive’s assessment of the risks posed by the song. The use of a civil injunction as a mechanism to apply the National Security Law made compliance by the online platforms to take down the content more justifiable.

This is just one example among many others brought against those protesting the crackdown on fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong by the Chinese authorities. In June 2024, two foreign Non-Permanent Judges in Hong Kong from the United Kingdom resigned over concerns that their role in the Hong Kong judicial system made them not only complicit in the prosecution of protesters and other human rights activists but also lent credibility to the crackdown. The erosion of the legal system continues in Hong Kong, with the first two criminal prosecutions for sedition under the new Safeguarding National Security Ordinance being handed down on September 19.

A panel of experts will delve into the court’s decision to block the protest song and the impact of the National Security Law.

SPEAKERS
Michael Caster – Asia Digital Program Manager, ARTICLE 19
Chung Ching Kwong – Senior Analyst at Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China
Eric Yan-ho Lai – Research Fellow, Georgetown Center for Asian Law (GCAL)
Moderator: Doreen Weisenhaus – Director, Media Law and Policy Initiative, Northwestern University

LIVESTREAM https://livestream.com/internetsociety/cgfoe-hk

PARTICIPATE VIA ZOOM https://bit.ly/4ezSm9H

REAL TIME TEXT https://bit.ly/48qeTDP

TWITTER #GlorytoHongkong #HongKong #freespeech @ColumbiaGFoE @GeorgetownCAL @article19org @article19asia @michaelcaster @laiyanhoeric @chungchingkwong Doreen Weisenhaus @MedillSchool

MASTODON #freespeech

SIMULCASTS
https://twitter.com/ISOC_Live
https://www.twitch.tv/isoclive
https://www.facebook.com/liveisoc/

ARCHIVE
https://archive.org/details/cgfoe-hk

3:34 pm on June 24, 2024 · access now (10), free speech (13), isoc-dc (75), isoc-ny (53), shutdowns (10)

WEBCAST JUN 25 – Internet Shutdowns, and How to Stop Them

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ISOC LIVE

ISOC LIVEOn Tuesday June 25 2024 at 09:00-10:30 EDT (13:00-14:30 UTC) the Internet Society Washington DC Chapter (ISOC-DC) and the Internet Society New York Chapter (ISOC-NY) in collaboration with Access Now will host a webinar ‘Internet Shutdowns, and How to Stop Them‘.

It is an unfortunate fact that, in some regions of the world, our best efforts to make an ‘Internet for Everyone’ are all too often undercut by deliberate withdrawals of service, mandated by the powers that be. Three organizations have taken it upon themselves to shine light on this issue: Access Now, with its #KeepItOn advocacy campaign to oppose shutdowns; The Internet Society on its Pulse platform, which has not only a Shutdown Tracker, but also a Netloss Calculator to estimate the resulting economic damage; and Columbia Global Freedom of Expression, which specifically tracks legal challenges to shutdowns.

PRESENTERS
Natalia Krapiva, Senior Tech-Legal Counsel, Access Now
[SHRINKING DEMOCRACY, GROWING VIOLENCE – Internet shutdowns in 2023]

Joan Barata, Senior Legal Fellow, Future Free Speech Project
[Internet Shutdowns in international law]

Dan York, Director, Internet Technology, Internet Society
[Global Internet Shutdowns]

 

LIVESTREAM https://livestream.com/internetsociety/internetshutdowns

REAL TIME TEXT https://bit.ly/4eFtiOU

TWITTER #InternetShutdowns @natynettle @accessnow #KeepItOn @danyork @InternetSociety @isoc_pulse @JoanBarata @SpeechFuture @ColumbiaGFoE @CL_Horne @AmericanU @isocdc @isocny

MASTODON  #InternetShutdowns

SIMULCASTS
https://twitter.com/ISOC_Live
https://www.twitch.tv/isoclive
https://www.facebook.com/liveisoc/

ARCHIVE
https://archive.org/details/internetshutdowns

3:36 pm on April 17, 2024 · columbiagfoe (5), free expression (6), free speech (13)

WEBCAST APR 25 – Columbia Global Freedom of Expression (CGFoE) 10th anniversary – Safeguarding Free Expression: The Role of Judicial Systems in Pivotal Times

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ISOC LIVE

ISOC LIVEOn Thursday April 25 2024 Columbia Global Freedom of Expression (CGFoE) will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a full day event ‘Safeguarding Free Expression: The Role of Judicial Systems in Pivotal Times‘ at the Italian Academy in NYC. The event will include CGFoE’s 2024 Prize Ceremony, and is supported by UNESCO through the Multi-Donor Programme on Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists (MDP) and the Global Media Defence Fund (GMDF).

01 Opening Session
Hawley Johnson, Associate Director, CGFoE
Guilherme Canela, Chief of Section Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalist, UNESCO
Aryeh Neier, President Emeritus, Open Society Foundations

02 PANEL – Breakthrough Verdicts: Legal Decisions Shaping the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
Eduardo Bertoni, Director of the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, American University Washington College of Law
Karuna Nundy, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India
Sarah Peeters, Programme Officer – Development of the Legal Profession, Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU)
Alice Gardoll, Chief of Staff, Office of Amal Clooney
Moderator: Mehdi Benchelah, Senior Project Officer – Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists Section – UNESCO

03 BOOK TALK – Truth, Justice, and the Power of Journalism
Introduction – Anastasiia Vorozhtsova
Elena Kostyuchenko, author of I Love Russia: Reporting from a Lost Country
Paul Caruana Galizia, author of A Death in Malta: An Assassination and a Family’s Quest for Justice
Moderator: Marija Šajkaš, CGFoE

04 PANEL – Critical Legal Frontiers: Global Challenges to Freedom of Expression
Caroline James, Advocacy Coordinator, AmaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism
Alexander Papachristou, Executive Director, Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice
Barbara Trionfi, Author, IPI Report Climate / Environmental Journalism Under Fire
Jorge Calderón Gamboa, Independent Expert, UN Program Harmony With Nature
Mishi Choudhary, Senior Vice-President and General Counsel, Virtru
Professor Nikolaus Forgo, Head of the Department of Innovation and Digitalization in Law, University of Vienna
Moderator: Sandra Coliver, Former Senior Legal Officer, Open Society Justice Initiative, USA

16:00 2024 Columbia Global Freedom of Expression Prize Ceremony
Performance by singer Vivir Quintana, “Canción sin miedo” (Song without fear)
Keynote: Elena Kostyuchenko, Russian journalist and activist
Presentation of the winner in “Significant Legal Ruling” by Caroline James, amaBhugane Investigative Journalism Center
Presentation of the winner in “Excellence in Legal Services” by Alejandra Negrete, National Autonomous University of Mexico
Performance by singer Vivir Quintana,

  • “Sorora / Sororal”
  • “¿Quién cuida al pueblo? / Who takes care of the people?”
  • “Canción sin miedo / Song without fear”

05 Closing Remarks
Hawley Johnson, Associate Director, CGFoE

LIVESTREAM https://livestream.com/internetsociety/cgfoe10

TWITTER #freespeech @ColumbiaGFoE @UNESCO @pcaruanagalizia @mirrorsbreath @Suffolk_Law @nimajpu

MASTODON  #freespeech

SIMULCASTS
https://twitter.com/ISOC_Live
https://www.twitch.tv/isoclive
https://www.facebook.com/liveisoc/

ARCHIVE
https://archive.org/details/cgfoe10

ADD TO CALENDAR https://calndr.link/event/fa4H7mDxww

5:23 am on April 12, 2024 · free speech (13), TikTok (2)

WEBCAST APR 12 – Dangerous Dancing?: TikTok, National Security, and the First Amendment

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ISOC LIVE

ISOC LIVEOn Friday April 12 2024 at 12:30-14:00 EDT (16:30-18:00 UTC) the Institute for Rebooting Social Media (RSM) at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society hosts a panel ‘Dangerous Dancing?: TikTok, National Security, and the First Amendment‘.

TikTok, the massively popular social media app, has come under fire because it is owned by a company headquartered in Beijing. Some call it a “Trojan Horse,” arguing that it is simultaneously a spying and propaganda machine. Defenders observe that TikTok is an enormous speech platform and that the U.S. should not be in the business of banning speech apps. When might economic sanctions run afoul of the First Amendment? Leading experts will consider First Amendment challenges to any TikTok divest-or-ban order.

WELCOME
Toni Gardner – Director of Operations, Institute for Rebooting Social Media
PANEL
Jennifer Huddleston – Technology Policy Research Fellow, Cato Institute
Ramya Krishnan – Senior Staff Attorney, Knight First Amendment Institute
Jenna Leventoff – Senior Policy Counsel, ACLU
Alan Z. Rozenshtein – Associate Professor of Law, University of Minnesota
MODERATOR
Anupam Chander – Scott K. Ginsburg Professor of Law and Technology, Georgetown

LIVESTREAM https://livestream.com/internetsociety/rsm-tiktokban

TRANSCRIPT https://archive.org/download/rsm-tiktokban/rsm-tiktokban_TRANSCRIPT.pdf

TWITTER #TikTokBan Institute for Rebooting Social Media @AnupamChander @BKCHarvard @jrhuddles @CatoInstitute Ramya Krishnan @knightcolumbia @ARozenshtein Jenna Leventoff @ACLU

MASTODON  #TikTokBan

ARCHIVE
https://archive.org/details/rsm-tiktokban

 

11:39 am on January 22, 2021 · free speech (13), section 230 (9), stanford (12), Stanford CPC (2)

The Storming of the Capitol and the Future of Speech Online

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livestream

livestreamOn Friday January 22 2021 at 1pm-2pm PST (21:00-22:00 UTC) the Stanford Cyber Policy Center hosts a seminar ‘The Storming of the Capitol and the Future of Speech Online‘. A panel will discuss the role of social media during the Trump presidency, including the role of platform policies in fomenting or responding to the recent violence, the benefits and risks posed by steps subsequently taken, and what this means for the future of speech online.

SPEAKERS
Nate Persily, Faculty Co-Director of the Cyber Policy Center
Daphne Keller, Director, Cyber Policy Center Program on Platform Regulation
Alex Stamos, Director, Cyber Policy Center Internet Observatory
Renee DiResta, Research Manager, Cyber Policy Center Internet Observatory

MODERATOR: Kelly Born, Executive Director, Cyber Policy Center

LIVESTREAM: http://livestream.com/internetsociety/cpcstorm

PARTICIPATE VIA ZOOM: http://ow.ly/Fsht50D8L5E

TWITTER: @StanfordCyber @persily @alexstamos @daphnehk @noUpside @KellyKborn #section230

SIMULCASTS
https://www.pscp.tv/ISOC_Live/
https://www.twitch.tv/isoclive

ARCHIVE
https://archive.org/details/cpcstorm

 

1:40 am on December 14, 2011 · CIS Stanford (4), free speech (13), netfreedom (8), stanford (12)

Video: @StanfordCIS Panel – Free Speech in the Networked World #freespeech #netfreedom #ows

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On Nov 30 2011 the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School hosted a panel discussion – From Public Squares to Platforms: Free Speech in the Networked World. A diverse panel from academia, public interest, and private practice, discussed the opportunities and challenges for free speech as it increasingly moves from the town square to the networked world.

Panelists:

  • Dorothy Chou – Senior Policy Analyst, Google
  • Linda Lye – Staff Attorney, ACLU of Northern California
  • Philip Hammer – Of Counsel, Hoge Fenton Jones & Appel
  • Andrew McLaughlin – Non-Residential Fellow at the Center for Internet and Society and the Executive Director of Civic Commons
  • Laurence Pulgram – Partner and Chair of Commercial and Copyright Litigation Group, Fenwick and West LLP

Moderator:

* Nicole Ozer – Co-Chair- California State Bar Cyberspace Committee, Technology and Civil Liberties Policy Director, ACLU of Northern California

 

3:56 am on May 26, 2011 · censorship (19), filtering (3), free culture (25), free speech (13), internet freedom (81), open internet (25), un (41), United Nations (3)

UN Human Rights Council report on freedom of expression condemns Internet controls #netfreedom @UN_HRC

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UN Human Rights

UN Human RightsThe 17th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council takes place in Geneva from 30 May – 17 June 2011. In preparation a number of reports have been filed, including one from Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression Frank de la Rue.

The report [pdf] “explores key trends and challenges to the right of all individuals to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds through the Internet”. It covers both content and access, and also examines what “exceptional circumstances under which the dissemination of certain types of information may be restricted”.

The report states:

States restrict, control, manipulate and censor content disseminated via the Internet without any legal basis, or on the basis of broad and ambiguous laws, without justifying the purpose of such actions; and/or in a manner that is clearly unnecessary and/or disproportionate to achieving the intended aim

and

The Special Rapporteur is of the view that the arbitrary use of criminal law to sanction legitimate expression constitutes one of the gravest forms of restriction to the right, as it not only creates a “chilling effect”, but also leads to other human rights violations, such as arbitrary detention and torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Noting recent cases of imprisonment of bloggers, the report suggests that defamation be decriminalized globally and that only incitements to violence can be legitimately blocked. Additionally

the Special Rapporteur reiterates that the right to freedom of expression includes expression of views and opinions that offend, shock or disturb.

The report criticizes heavy-handed copyright protection schemes while noting that the most recent drafts of the ACTA agreement have dropped the ‘3 strike’ disconnection provisions.

It calls for universal access noting that a BBC global poll in March 2010 “79% of those interviewed
in 26 countries believe that Internet access is a fundamental human right”

The conclusions of the report are below:

Read more