Social Issues & Culture
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Trump Wants To Criminalize Free Speech In The Form Of Flag Burning
Mike Masnick, Techdirt
You may recall that Donald Trump and his supporters have insisted that he’s the “free speech” President. His first day in office this term, he issued an executive order “restoring free speech” saying that “no Federal Government officer, employee, or agent eng…
Aug 26, 2025, 4:30 PM
Trump Bans Flag Burning in Direct Threat to First Amendment
Malcolm Ferguson, The New Republic
President Trump on Monday signed an executive order instructing the U.S. attorney general to pursue criminal charges against anyone caught burning the American flag, blatantly violating basic freedom of speech and expression laws. “Flag burning. All over the …
Aug 25, 2025, 3:51 PM
This Week In Techdirt History: August 17th – 23rd
Leigh Beadon, Techdirt
Five Years Ago This week in 2020, a judge forbade a Facebook user being sued by a cop from publishing the cop’s name on social media, the DC police union was suing to block the release of the names of officers involved in shootings, and we wrote about how Sec…
Aug 23, 2025, 7:30 PM
President Trump’s War On “Woke AI” Is A Civil Liberties Nightmare
Tori Noble and Kit Walsh, Techdirt
The White House’s recently-unveiled “AI Action Plan” wages war on so-called “woke AI”—including large language models (LLMs) that provide information inconsistent with the administration’s views on climate change, gender, and other issues. It also targets mea…
Aug 22, 2025, 6:58 PM
Amy Klobuchar Promotes Law Against Deepfakes While Denying She Said Sydney Sweeney Has ‘Perfect Titties’
Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com
"It had me saying vile things," writes the senator from Minnesota.
Aug 21, 2025, 5:35 PM
Amy Klobuchar Wants To Break The Internet Because Someone Made A Stupid Satirical Video About Her
Mike Masnick, Techdirt
Senator Amy Klobuchar is one of the top Democrats in the Senate. She could be fighting to protect democracy against fascists. She could be working on a new, better vision for Americans. But instead, she’s focused on breaking the internet. And now we know why:…
Aug 21, 2025, 4:29 PM
Judge issues injunction preventing Trump's FTC from investigating watchdog Media Matters
Associated Press, Yahoo Entertainment
A federal judge has issued an injunction preventing the Trump administration's Federal Trade Commission from investigating Media Matters for America, the...
Aug 18, 2025, 8:34 PM
“South Park” and the high price of free speech
Melanie McFarland, Salon
With our First Amendment rights under attack, those in the best position to defend them also happen to be rich
Aug 17, 2025, 4:00 PM
Judge Rules FTC Investigation Of Media Matters Violates First Amendment
Ted Johnson, Deadline
A federal judge has restricted the Federal Trade Commission’s investigation of Media Matters, the progressive watchdog group, finding that the agency was likely engaged in retaliatory conduct in violation of the First Amendment. U.S. District Judge Sparkle L.…
Aug 15, 2025, 10:20 PM
Chatbots aren’t telling you their secrets
Adi Robertson, The Verge
On Monday, xAI's Grok chatbot suffered a mysterious suspension from X, and faced with questions from curious users, it happily explained why. "My account was suspended after I stated that Israel and the US are committing genocide in Gaza," it told one user. "…
Aug 13, 2025, 12:46 PM
A new Supreme Court case asks whether children still have First Amendment rights
Ian Millhiser, Vox
Let’s give credit where it is due. The current Supreme Court has a decent record on free speech issues. There have been some worrisome moves, such as the Court’s decision not to immediately reverse an appeals court decision that stripped activists of their r…
Aug 6, 2025, 4:32 PM
Has the US cancelled free speech?
Al Jazeera English
Why are US professors suing to challenge the Trump administration’s crackdown on pro-Palestine activism?
Jul 27, 2025, 3:59 PM
Paramount-Skydance merger approved after companies agree to government speech demands
Lauren Feiner, The Verge
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved Skydance’s $8 billion purchase of CBS-owner Paramount after the companies agreed to end diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs but feature a “diversity of viewpoints from across the political a…
Jul 24, 2025, 11:57 PM
Smug Obama speechwriter provides damning reminder of Democrats' intolerance for conservatives, vax-refusers
Joseph MacKinnon, TheBlaze
There is an editorial genre kept alive at liberal publications around the country that is focused on questions about what to do with conservative kin and how best to prevent family members from similarly adopting viewpoints at odds with leftist values.The Huf…
Jul 19, 2025, 7:00 PM
Appeals Court Judge Claims (Against All Historical Evidence) That The First Amendment Doesn’t Apply To Non-Citizens
Mike Masnick, Techdirt
We’ve written before about how attacks on free speech often start with unpopular speakers who lack political power. That’s why a new dissenting opinion from Trump-appointed Judge Paul Matey should set off alarm bells for anyone who cares about the First Amend…
Jul 18, 2025, 5:53 PM
What to Do With the Most Dangerous Book in America
James Shapiro, The Atlantic
At a perilous American moment, the Shakespeare scholar James Shapiro explains why he wanted to read The Turner Diaries.
Jul 18, 2025, 11:30 AM
Yelle Cancel North American Tour Due to “Very Worrying” U.S. Political Climate
Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork
“The current political climate in the US, especially in regard to immigration and freedom of speech, is very worrying,” the French electropop band shared. “We are now traveling as a family with our young child, so more than ever, we need to feel safe.”
Jul 16, 2025, 6:27 PM
Censorship for Citizenship
David A. Graham, The Atlantic
Trump’s threat to revoke Rosie O’Donnell’s citizenship shows his conditional support for free speech.
Jul 14, 2025, 9:23 PM
Bob Vylan Singer Asks UK Crowd to Stop “Death to the IDF” Chant Amid Police Investigation
Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork
“You’re gonna get me in trouble,” Bobby Vylan told fans at London’s 100 Club. “Apparently, every other chant is fine, but you lot will get me in trouble.”
Jul 10, 2025, 6:10 PM
Local Grifters Discover Superman Is From Another Planet
James Whitbrook, Gizmodo.com
No matter how many times popular culture is reminded of Superman's migrant origins, the culture war always pretends to act shocked.
Jul 8, 2025, 2:30 PM
Startup founders and others in tech call on Sequoia Capital to act after a partner called Zohran Mamdani an 'Islamist'
Katherine Li,Kelsey Vlamis, Business Insider
Self-described tech workers and founders are petitioning the venture capital company to take disciplinary action over a partner's comments.
Jul 8, 2025, 3:16 AM
Instead of disruption, let’s organize helpful protests
Martin Skladany, Salon
Playing the long game against Trump demands different forms of resistance
Jul 5, 2025, 10:25 AM
We’re Publishing the Speech That Harvard Suppressed for Mentioning Genocide
Akela Lacy, The Intercept
“I wanted to center Palestine,” a Harvard commencement speaker told The Intercept. Read and watch her speech. The post We’re Publishing the Speech That Harvard Suppressed for Mentioning Genocide appeared first on The Intercept.
Jul 5, 2025, 10:00 AM
The Moral Imperative Of Clear Language
Mike Masnick, Techdirt
I need to say something that will make many of you deeply uncomfortable: your refusal to call fascism “fascism” is not sophistication—it’s complicity. When Donald Trump posts explicit orders for “REMIGRATION” and “Mass Deportation Operations” targeting Americ…
Jul 1, 2025, 10:17 PM