An ‘Assault on the First Amendment’: Recent Legislation in DeSantis’ Florida
Two Florida bills filed by State Rep. Alex Andrade, a Gov. Ron DeSantis ally, on the same day in late February represent “a full-fledged assault on the First Amendment,” says Bobby Block, executive director of the First Amendment Foundation.
Trump Isn’t Immune to Capitol Riot Lawsuits, the Department of Justice Says
In a brief filed March 2 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, the U.S. Department of Justice told the federal appeals court that former President Donald Trump should not be immune to the civil-damages lawsuits filed against him by legislators and injured Capitol police as a result of the Capitol riots on Jan. 6, 2021.
Murdoch & Friends: Revelations from an Unsealed Dominion Filing in Suit Against Fox
The recently unsealed filing in Dominion Voting Systems’ defamation lawsuit against Fox includes revelations into internal conversations at the network, and its knowledge that Donald Trump’s claims of a fraudulent presidential election in 2020 were false, but aired them anyway.
Key Takeaways of Supreme Court Oral Arguments in Gonzalez v. Google
During almost three hours of oral arguments Feb. 21, the U.S. Supreme Court discussed for the first time a case that questions Section 230 protections. The case looks at the liability of social media platforms and search engines regarding speech hosted on their sites, and if recommendation algorithms could be responsible for aiding terrorist activity.
Fox News Hosts Didn’t Appear to Believe 2020 Election Fraud Claims, a Newly Released Filing Shows
Top Fox News executives and on-air personalities expressed concern over Donald Trump’s fraudulent election claims in 2020, but the network continued to air the falsities anyway, according to a brief made public Feb. 16 in Dominion Voting Systems’ defamation lawsuit against the network.
Electronic Frontier Foundation’s David Greene Weighs In on Section 230 and Online Speech
The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in two cases pivotal to online speech: Gonzalez v. Google on Feb. 21 and Twitter, Inc. v. Taamneh on Feb. 22. Both cases question the liability of social media platforms and search engines regarding speech hosted on their sites, and if recommendation algorithms could be responsible for aiding terrorist activity.
Livestreaming Police during a Traffic Stop is Protected Speech, Fourth Circuit Says
A North Carolina man sued a police department and two officers for violating his First Amendment right to record and livestream as a passenger during a traffic stop. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled Feb. 7 that livestreaming the police is protected speech.
Federal Judge Dismisses the Trump Campaign’s Defamation Lawsuit Against The Washington Post
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit Feb. 3 ruling the Trump Campaign did not adequately plead the factual basis of actual malice for an allegedly defamatory Washington Post article, and ruled another was protected opinion.