Censorship
Always watching: How ICE’s plan to monitor social media 24/7 threatens privacy and civic participation
Always watching: How ICE’s plan to monitor social media 24/7 threatens privacy and civic participation ICE is seeking private contractors to launch a 24/7 social media monitoring program, which would involve analyzing public posts on various platforms to identify potential threats or enforcement leads. The program would use AI-powered software to correlate social media data […]
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The limits of free speech protections in American broadcasting
The limits of free speech protections in American broadcasting The FCC’s power to regulate broadcasting is rooted in its authority to license stations “in the public interest, convenience, or necessity,” which has been upheld by the Supreme Court since 1943. The FCC’s expansive powers were established in the landmark case National Broadcasting Co. v. United […]
🏛️ Politics
McCarthyism’s shadow looms over controversial firing of Texas professor who taught about gender identity
McCarthyism’s shadow looms over controversial firing of Texas professor who taught about gender identity Texas A&M University has fired a children’s literature professor, Melissa McCoul, over her discussion of gender identity in class, sparking concerns about academic freedom and free speech. The university claims that McCoul’s course content was not consistent with the published course […]
🏛️ Politics
Many book bans could be judging titles mainly by their covers
Many book bans could be judging titles mainly by their covers Over the past decade, there have been nearly 16,000 book bans in US public schools and libraries since 2021, a number not seen since the 1950s under McCarthyism. The majority of books targeted for bans are those that depict diversity, including racial, gender, and […]
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Censorship campaigns can have a way of backfiring – look no further than the fate of America’s most prolific censor
Censorship campaigns can have a way of backfiring – look no further than the fate of America’s most prolific censor The Trump administration’s efforts to suppress speech it disfavors may backfire, as seen in the case of comedian Jimmy Kimmel being suspended from his show and subsequently gaining more viewers than ever before. The history […]
🏛️ Politics
How the First Amendment protects Americans’ speech − and how it does not
How the First Amendment protects Americans’ speech − and how it does not The First Amendment protects Americans’ speech, including speech that may be distasteful or unpopular, as long as it does not incite violence, is not obscene, and does not constitute defamation or a true threat. The government can regulate speech through “reasonable time, […]
🏛️ Politics
Elon Musk is trying to silence Microsoft employees who criticize Charlie Kirk
Elon Musk is trying to silence Microsoft employees who criticize Charlie Kirk Elon Musk is pressuring Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to investigate Blizzard employees who criticized Charlie Kirk after his death. Musk shared a thread on X showing names and screenshots of developers who allegedly “trashed” Kirk, prompting him to ask Nadella what’s going on. […]
🏛️ Politics
Israel’s killing of journalists follows a pattern of silencing Palestinian media that stretches back to 1967
Israel’s killing of journalists follows a pattern of silencing Palestinian media that stretches back to 1967 Israel’s killing of journalists in Gaza has reached a record high, with 197 Palestinian journalists killed since October 2023, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. The killings are part of a pattern of silencing Palestinian media that stretches […]
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China’s arrests of boys’ love authors does not equate to a ‘gay erotica’ crackdown
China’s arrests of boys’ love authors does not equate to a ‘gay erotica’ crackdown China’s recent arrests of boys’ love authors have been misinterpreted by Western media as a “gay erotica” crackdown, when in fact it’s a localized phenomenon related to online content regulation. The term “boys’ love” (BL) refers to a genre of East […]
🏛️ Politics
Self-censorship and the ‘spiral of silence’: Why Americans are less likely to publicly voice their opinions on political issues
Self-censorship and the ‘spiral of silence’: Why Americans are less likely to publicly voice their opinions on political issues Americans are less likely to publicly voice their opinions on political issues due to self-censorship and polarization, which has led to a decline in trust among citizens. The polarization between Republicans and Democrats has resulted in […]
🏛️ Politics