The FCC faces more than 153,000 comments urging it to drop its call for early license renewals for ABC stations. At @washingtonexaminer.bsky.social, @ashkhen.bsky.social and @aclu.org's Jenna Leventoff argue the First Amendment protects against this exact kind of regulatory pressure.

🚨 The Future of Free Speech, @aclu.org, @knightcolumbia.org, and @ncacensorship.bsky.social have submitted comments to the FCC urging it to drop its call for Disney's ABC Stations to renew their broadcast licenses early ⬇️ ⬇️

The Trump administration issued subpoenas on Friday to several journalists for The New York Times, after the news outlet reported this week on security concerns involving President Trump’s new Qatari-donated Air Force One. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/11/b...

Times Journalists Subpoenaed as Trump Escalates Pressure on Media

The Justice Department is seeking to compel testimony from reporters who wrote about the new Air Force One. The Times called the move a “brazen act.”

nytimes.com

The price of speaking freely is rising. Regulatory pressure, funding freezes, and deportation threats @ashkhen.bsky.social calls a "First Amendment tax"—raising the cost of free expression through fear of costly legal and political battles.

OMG this episode title

The FCC is considering warning labels for TV content involving gender identity. In USA Today, @angelelatham.bsky.social cites @ashkhen.bsky.social’s filing to the FCC, which argues that this proposal allows the government to stigmatize certain viewpoints through labeling schemes ⬇️

The First Amendment forbids this kind of viewpoint targeting. Senior Legal Fellow @ashkhen.bsky.social, who authored the comment, writes, "The First Amendment does not permit the federal government to brand a category of human existence as a content warning."

The Future of Free Speech's Comment to The FCC on Inquiry into Warning Labels for LGBTQ Content - The Future of Free Speech

Comments to the Federal Communications Commission RE: In the Matter of Further Empowering Parents to Protect Their Children and Make Informed Choices About TV Programs Their Children Watch MB Docket…

futurefreespeech.org

🚨 Today, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee will be considering The GUARD Act, a bill aimed at restricting AI chatbots for minors. @ashkhen.bsky.social, Senior Legal Fellow at The Future of Free Speech, has issued the following statement in response ⬇️ 🧵

On Lawfare Daily, @klonick.bsky.social interviewed @ronanfarrow.bsky.social and Andrew Marantz about their @newyorker.com article on Sam Altman, the products he's building at OpenAI, and how he's selling them to investors and the public, and also to regulators and world leaders. youtu.be/O2GNrY63_2c

It's okay to hate Meta and wish for its collapse and failure. But the two jury verdicts this week are not the vehicle for that. They're going to have widespread impact across the internet, and will do real damage to every other internet service.

Techdirt@techdirt.com · 4mo ago

Everyone Cheering The Social Media Addiction Verdicts Against Meta Should Understand What They’re Actually Cheering For First things first: Meta is a terrible company that has spent years making terrible decisions and being terrible at explaining the challenges of social media trust & safety, all…

New Tech Policy podcast! Host @corbinkbarthold.bsky.social speaks at State of the Net with @joellthayer.bsky.social (Digital Progress Institute), @ashkhen.bsky.social (@futurefreespeech.org) and Luke Hogg (FAI). They discuss how the First Amendment should work in a world of algorithms and AI.

This weekend, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr warned broadcasters that running what he calls “hoaxes and news distortions” about the Iran war could jeopardize their broadcast licenses. But the First Amendment doesn't have a "fake news" exemption, and it never has, @ashkhen.bsky.social writes.

Thrilled to publish my latest article BAN COOKIE BANNERS: A CASE STUDY IN TECH REGULATION with the Harv. J. of Law & Tech! A cri de cœur to end this worse-than-useless regulatory compliance regime and let something that actually protects users take its place. papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.... 1/

Should your favorite influencer have to weigh in on the latest political controversy, even when they don't make political content? If we demand speech on command, @ashkhen.bsky.social explores what that means for our free speech culture.

Sharing this *excellent* explainer by @lawfaremedia.org 's Isabel Arroyo on the current stage of digital age assurance definitions and laws. Bookmark it, it's a fabulous resource: www.lawfaremedia.org/article/to-r...

To Read This, Please Upload Photo ID

A primer on digital age assurance methods and a survey of the laws—both enacted and proposed—requiring them.

lawfaremedia.org

Can the NFL really claim "neutrality" if it prevents players from expressing strong opinions while taking overt political stances on other issues? Given its immense cultural power and influence, @ashkhen.bsky.social argues that the NFL should do better if it wants to reflect American values.

The NFL Is A Speech Referee (And Not A Good One)

The NFL can't claim "neutrality" when it endorses certain political messages over others.

bedrockprinciple.com

Sen. Wyden, thank you for your leadership and foresight in enacting Section 230. I posted my thoughts about its past, present, and future this morning blog.ericgoldman.org/archives/202...

Reflections on Section 230's Past, Present, and Future on Its 30th Anniversary - Technology & Marketing Law Blog

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 became law thirty years ago today, on February 8, 1996. Buried in a corner of that sprawling law was Section 230, a law that says websites aren’t liable for third-pa...

blog.ericgoldman.org

When I wrote Section 230 I did so knowing it would be critical for protecting free speech online. 30 years later and it’s one of the last things standing in the way of Republican censorship of the internet. Here’s to many more years of defending this vital safeguard of free speech.

Some thoughts from me in techdirt about Rand Paul’s journey to the wrong policy conclusion

Techdirt@techdirt.com · 7mo ago

Section 230 Didn’t Fail Rand Paul. He Just Doesn’t Like the Remedy That Worked. Rand Paul is furious. That’s because someone posted a video falsely accusing the Kentucky senator of taking money from Venezuela’s Maduro regime. Paul should know that the First Amendment sets a deliberately high bar…

Free speech advocates had a busy 2025, to say the least. But more battles are ahead. @ashkhen.bsky.social spoke with the Tallahassee Democrat about key First Amendment fights to expect in 2026— from proposed algorithm regulations to the speech rights of non-citizen students.

COMING SOON: New Australian social media law ban for everyone under 33.

The Washington Post@washingtonpost.com · 8mo ago

A new study reveals four key turning points in human brain development, challenging the notion of linear growth. Researchers identified distinct phases at ages 9, 32, 66 and 83. https://wapo.st/48HPdmr

Hey folks: this morning we're launching a monthlong fundraiser for @techdirt.com. Over the last year, we've been steadfast in not self-censoring, not capitulating, not sanewashing bullshit. But that's come at a cost. And we need help: rtb.techdirt.com/products/fri...

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🇺🇸vs.🇪🇺: An energy company sued an advocacy organization in a U.S. court over pipeline protests. Now, the advocacy org is taking its claims to an EU court, alleging that the company launched a strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP) against them.

She’s back! On the latest Tech Policy Podcast, former host Ashkhen Kazaryan (@ashkhen.bsky.social) of @futurefreespeech.org returns for a wide-ranging discussion about powerful algorithms, attacks on Section 230, and much, much more. podcast.techfreedom.org/episodes/422...

Tech Prom 2025 is around the corner— we’re highlighting some of the many voices that make the evening so memorable, including Future of Free Speech’s @ashkhen.bsky.social and Microsoft’s Chris Calabrese. 📍 The LINE DC 🗓️ Oct 23 | 6–10 PM cdt.org/event/2025-t...

As part of this year’s #FOSO2025 conference, don’t miss @ashkhen.bsky.social, India McKinney, @rude1.blacksky.team & Ryan Carroll as they unpack Section 230’s misunderstood legacy and its role in protecting users worldwide. 10/28 @ 1pm ET: standtogether.swoogo...

Free expression online faces new challenges—from AI to government pressure on platforms. At this year’s #FutureOfSpeechOnline 2025, experts will explore what’s at stake for speech in the digital age. 🗓️ Oct 28 & 29 | 🕛 12–3pm ET 🎟️ standtogether.swoogo...

At a panel hosted by the American Enterprise Institute, @ashkhen.bsky.social said normalizing jawboning sends a dangerous message to younger generations. 🔗 Watch the full panel here: aei.org/events/policing-the-public-interest-and-broadcast-content-at-todays-fcc

The Trump administration and the FCC have ramped up threats to broadcasters and media outlets. How does Jimmy Kimmel's suspension impact free speech in America going forward?

How can we use surveys to promote a culture of free speech? @ashkhen.bsky.social talks to @glukianoff.bsky.social and Kevin Goldberg in a panel sponsored by @thefireorg.bsky.social and @1stforall.bsky.social. #FreeSpeechSummit2025