Minnesota and other Democratic-led states lead pushback on censorship. They’re banning the book ban

ST. PAUL, Minn. — As a queer and out youth, Shae Ross was alarmed when she heard that conservative groups were organizing in her community to ban books dealing with sexuality, gender and race. So she and her friends got organized themselves, and helped persuade their school board to make it much harder to remove … Read more

The Biggest Deepfake Porn Website Is Now Blocked in the UK

Two of the biggest deepfake pornography websites have now started blocking people trying to access them from the United Kingdom. The move comes days after the UK government announced plans for a new law that will make creating nonconsensual deepfakes a criminal offense. Nonconsensual deepfake pornography websites and apps that “strip” clothes off of photos … Read more

Musk says House has launched inquiry over X-Brazil battle

Elon Musk said Thursday that the House has launched an inquiry into his country’s work in Brazil after the tech mogul claimed that Brazilian leaders illegally demanded he ban members of parliament and journalists from his social media platform X and he refused. Musk announced that X has “received an inquiry from the U.S. House … Read more

Librarians fear new penalties, even prison, as activists challenge books

When an illustrated edition of Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” was released in 2019, educators in Clayton, Missouri needed little debate before deciding to keep copies in high school libraries. The book is widely regarded as a classic work of dystopian literature about the oppression of women, and a graphic novel would help it reach … Read more

A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo’s David raises questions about freedom of expression

FLORENCE, Italy — Michelangelo’s David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue’s religious and political significance is being diminished by the thousands of refrigerator magnets and other souvenirs sold around Florence focusing on David’s genitalia. … Read more

Attorneys try to stop DeSantis appointees from giving depositions in Disney lawsuit

ORLANDO, Fla. — Attorneys for the Walt Disney World governing district taken over last year by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ allies don’t want the governor’s appointees answering questions under oath as part of its state lawsuit against Disney. District attorneys on Monday filed a motion for a protective order that would stop the DeSantis-appointed board members … Read more

Censorship efforts at libraries continued to soar in 2023, according to a new report

NEW YORK — Bannings and attempted bannings of books soared again in the U.S. last year, continuing to set record highs, according to a new report from the American Library Association. On Thursday, the ALA announced that 4,240 works in school and public libraries had been targeted in 2023, a substantial hike from the then-record … Read more

Musk abruptly cancels ‘The Don Lemon Show’ on X after he sits for the program’s first interview

SAN FRANCISCO — Billionaire Elon Musk abruptly canceled “The Don Lemon Show” on his social media network X after the former CNN anchor recorded an interview with the billionaire for its as-yet unaired first episode. Musk owns X, formerly known as Twitter, and frequently proclaims himself a “free speech absolutist.” In a post on X, … Read more

Supreme Court Seems Unsure How To Proceed In Social Media Cases

The U.S. Supreme Court did not appear ready to resolve major questions related to free speech on social media and the regulation of digital platforms after arguments on Monday over two controversial laws passed by Republican-controlled legislatures in Florida and Texas. The lack of clarity over the outcome of the two cases, known as Moody … Read more

These Liberal Law Professors Oppose Striking Down GOP Censorship Laws

In 2021, Republicans in Florida and Texas enacted new laws limiting the ability of social media companies to moderate and remove content from users. The laws came amid a wave of real and perceived censorship of conservative viewpoints on sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, including the removal of former President Donald Trump from … Read more