CRS report via LC – Congress and Law Enforcement Reform: Constitutional Authority, June 4, 2020: “In May and June 2020, protests erupted nationwide after the publication of video footage of a Minneapolis police officer pressing his knee into the neck of George Floyd, leading to his death. That incident and its aftermath have sparked heightened… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Free Speech
How to secure your phone before attending a protest
The Verge: “People are taking to the streets to organize for justice and protest against systemic racism and police brutality. If you’re attending or even just watching the protests, then be aware: not only is your phone a trove of information about you and the people you communicate with, it also functions as a tracking… Continue Reading
ACLU files class action suit on behalf of journalist targeted during protests
ACLU: “We are facing a full-scale assault on the First Amendment freedom of the press. As people take to the streets to demand justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and too many other Black people who have been killed by police in recent years, journalists have joined them to bear witness.… Continue Reading
Trump’s order to curtail power of social media giants faces legal challenge
Legal Insider: “Mayer Brown has filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump on behalf of non-profit digital rights group Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), alleging that his recent executive order to curtail the protection of social media giants such as Twitter violates the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech. The lawsuit alleges that… Continue Reading
Trump escalates war on Twitter, social media protections
AP: “President Donald Trump escalated his war on social media companies Thursday, signing an executive order challenging the liability protections that have served as a bedrock for unfettered speech on the internet. Still, the move appears to be more about politics than substance, as the president aims to rally supporters after he lashed out at… Continue Reading
Protecting Privacy In A Pandemic: A Resource Guide
American Library Association: “This resource guide supplements “Protecting Privacy During a Pandemic,” a town hall hosted by the ALA’s IFC Privacy Subcommittee on May 8, 2020. The recorded session can be viewed online on OIF’s YouTube channel. Privacy Fundamentals – Even during a public health emergency, libraries should continue to adhere to their mission and… Continue Reading
Whistleblower Complaint on Trump’s Pandemic Response
Vanity Fair – “He was pressured to invest in drugs and vaccines that lacked scientific merit, because the people selling them had friends in the Trump administration, up to and including the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. He was forced to transfer funds to acquire drugs for the Strategic National Stockpile, America’s most important reserve of… Continue Reading
Misinformation During a Pandemic
Bursztyn, Leonardo and Rao, Aakaash and Roth, Christopher and Yanagizawa-Drott, David, Misinformation During a Pandemic (April 19, 2020). University of Chicago, Becker Friedman Institute for Economics Working Paper No. 2020-44. “We study the effects of news coverage of the novel coronavirus by the two most widely-viewed cable news shows in the United States – Hannity… Continue Reading
2020 World Press Freedom Index
Entering a decisive decade for journalism, exacerbated by coronavirus: “The 2020 World Press Freedom Index, compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), shows that the coming decade will be decisive for the future of journalism, with the Covid-19 pandemic highlighting and amplifying the many crises that threaten the right to freely reported, independent, diverse and reliable… Continue Reading
Can OSHA Protect Coronavirus Whistleblowers?
National Law Review – “As the nation debates when millions of employees should return to work despite the risk being infected with COVID-19, the grim reality of worker safety laws must be addressed. The primary law requiring a safe working environment is the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA). As reported by the Washington… Continue Reading
The Uncensored Library built within Minecraft
Reporters Without Borders – [see also this YourTube video] “On March 12, the “World Day Against Cyber Censorship”, The Uncensored Library [built by BlockWorks] opened its doors. Providing access to independent information to young people around the world through a medium they can playfully interact with. Journalists from five different countries now have a place… Continue Reading
Did the Early Internet Activists Blow It?
Slate – I’ve fought for a free internet for 30 years. Here’s where I think we went wrong, and right. By Mike Godwin – “…I’ve come to believe our society should take reasonable steps to limit intentionally harmful speech, but I also find myself increasingly embracing a broader, more instrumentalist vision of freedom of speech than… Continue Reading
