Freedom of expression is one of the most fundamental rights that individuals enjoy. It is fundamental to the existence of democracy and the respect of human dignity. It is also one of the most dangerous rights, because freedom of expression means the freedom to express one's discontent with the status quo and the desire to change it. As such, it is one of the most threatened rights, with governments - and even human rights groups - all over the world constantly trying to curtail it.
The United States, probably like no other nation, has recognized the importance of freedom of expression to safeguard democracy and grow as a nation. However, this does not mean there are no efforts to try to curtail it. The internet has often been the target of this efforts, as it provides practically everyone with the ability to communicate their ideas to wide audiences and escapes the ability of the state to control it.
This page is just being born, but in the future we hope to provide you with thorough information about what freedom of speech means, why it is important to protect it and what are the attempts to curtail it. Meanwhile we hope you find the information we do offer useful.
Derechos was an amicus on the ACLU cases against the US government vis a vis the so called Communication Indecency Act which criminalized the "making available" of "indecent" information to minors, and punished it with 2 years in prison. The statute was declared to violate the first ammendment by the Supreme Court. This is an example of clearly protected speech that was jeopardized by the statute.
A report by the US Justice Department. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Joseph Biden were/are trying to pass a law criminalizing thedistribution of bomb making information, both online and offline. This will interfere with the right of individuals to impart and obtain information. Bomb making information has many legitimate uses. Derechos Human Rights, for example, has published the Spanish version of the Urban Terrorism manual used at the US Army School of the Americas to teach foreign military. The manual contains information on how to make a car bomb.
The following are web sites whose existence or whose authors have been threatened.
The web site of a pro-Basque-Independence organization. The site was the subject of a mail-bombing attack by Spaniards who linked it with the terrorist group ETA. Nothing on the site that we could see, however, implies such connection or advocates the use of violence. Their provider, IGC, was forced to take the site down, which caused it to be mirrored at other sites.
The Canadian Government is enforcing a law that prohibits anonymous political speech - including online - and has threatened to charge the individual who published this page that we are now mirroring. You can find more information about the issue at http://insight.mcmaster.ca/org/efc/pages/elections/.
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Freedom of Speech - Derechos
- Here's what the law says about protesting on Texas college campuses - The Texas Tribune - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- The awkward truth about sex and free speech | Nina Welsch - The Critic - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- Get the Facts: How far does the First Amendment go? - WDSU New Orleans - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- NC school adopts free speech policy after firing professor who opposed critical theory - ADF Media - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- Biden's Government Takeover of the Internet Threatens Freedom of Speech - RealClearPolicy - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- Professor tackles subject of limiting freedom to express - Yahoo News Canada - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- Louisiana Tech earns top rating for free speech - Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- Freedom of speech 'under assault' at Palestine protests in US universities - The National - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- Is TikTok Protected Speech Or Threat To Americans? Wyoming Legislators Split - Cowboy State Daily - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- Free Speech Aids Racial Justice. Activists Must Defend It. | Opinion - Harvard Crimson - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Progressives Are Ditching Free Speech To Fight 'Disinformation' - Reason - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- There is a way out of cancel culture but it's not free speech - Times Higher Education - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Editor's take: Limiting hate speech not a First Amendment violation - The Pajaronian - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Israel's Proposed 'Terror Incitement' Law Is a Dangerous Threat to Freedom of Speech - Haaretz Editorial - Haaretz - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Colorado bill tasking attorney general to study online 'misinformation' sparks First Amendment debate - coloradopolitics.com - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- 10 Worst Censors: 2024 | The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression - Foundation for Individual Rights in Education - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Harvard University's Lifetime Censorship Award: Impact on Freedom of Speech and Journalism - Medriva - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Reading is freedom of speech, says 'ABCs of Book Banning' director - KCRW's This...Is Interesting - Podcast en iVoox - iVoox - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Freedom of speech or lack of civility? Resident perturbed by others berating Killeen City Council and mayor - The Killeen Daily Herald - October 16th, 2023 [October 16th, 2023]
- Harvard Students Should Know Freedom Of Speech Is Not Freedom From Consequences - The Federalist - October 16th, 2023 [October 16th, 2023]
- FIRE launches six-figure free speech campaign with primetime ... - Foundation for Individual Rights in Education - October 16th, 2023 [October 16th, 2023]
- UGS responds to free speech concerns on campus - The Stanford Daily - October 16th, 2023 [October 16th, 2023]
- UCI Year of Free Speech kicks off with virtual event - UCI News - October 16th, 2023 [October 16th, 2023]
- Book review: A Constitution To Keep: Sedition And Free Speech In ... - Maktoob media - October 16th, 2023 [October 16th, 2023]
- Protestors, supporters gather on HUB lawn for Riley Gaines' Free ... - The Daily Collegian - October 16th, 2023 [October 16th, 2023]
- Editorial: When is free speech not free on college campuses? - TribLIVE - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- How do you handle free speech issues in higher education, popular discourse? - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- Free speech protections are under threat in Texas Legislature - The Dallas Morning News - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- Should Irish universities introduce mandatory free speech classes? - The Irish Times - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- Florida House approves bill that would change rules around campus ... - WUFT - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- Free speech bill 'could protect extreme views' - Times Higher Education - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- Ronald Collins and Ronnie Marmo: Comedy clubs are free speech ... - Independent Record - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- A notable foundation for freedom of speech - Newsday - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- Troy, Alabama A&M receive poor 'red' rating from campus free ... - 1819 News - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- Freedom of Speech Pros and Cons: What Both Sides Think - March 8th, 2023 [March 8th, 2023]
- What is the freedom of speech? - Alliance Defending Freedom - January 25th, 2023 [January 25th, 2023]
- freedom of speech | Wex | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute - January 25th, 2023 [January 25th, 2023]
- First Amendment: Freedom of Speech | LII / Legal Information Institute - January 25th, 2023 [January 25th, 2023]
- Freedom of speech online: What are the Florida and Texas laws the US top court could hear a challenge to - The Indian Express - January 25th, 2023 [January 25th, 2023]
- Elon Musk says new Twitter policy is freedom of speech & not freedom ... - January 4th, 2023 [January 4th, 2023]
- CNN Calls Freedom of Speech 'Nonsense' in Moronic Rant - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]
- Ex-CNN journo and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa explains why ... - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]
- Hate speech - Wikipedia - November 27th, 2022 [November 27th, 2022]
- Freedom of Speech and Expression | CSCE - November 25th, 2022 [November 25th, 2022]
- Why Is Freedom Of Speech Important? The Relevance Explained - November 25th, 2022 [November 25th, 2022]
- 'Freedom Of Speech, But Not Freedom Of Reach': Musk Reinstates Kathy Griffin And Jordan Peterson Amid New Policy But Not Trump Yet - Forbes - November 21st, 2022 [November 21st, 2022]
- Freedom of speech is in jeopardy - The Ridgefield Press - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- The Alex Jones trap: How 'owning the libs' can turn into a self-own for conservatives - Washington Examiner - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Just released: The 2022-2023 College Free Speech Rankings - Foundation for Individual Rights in Education - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Russian Court's Ban of Newspaper Novaya Gazeta is a Punch in the Face of Freedom of Speech - Novinite.com - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Bangladeshi Editor Rifat Munim Supports Salman Rushdie's Freedom Of Speech: 'Why React To The Book Or The Cartoons In This Childish Way? Why Show... - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Crikey! The exclamation of Free Speech - RadioInfo Australia - Radioinfo - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Batley row 'shows how extremists are using blasphemy to attack free speech' - The Telegraph - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Expansion of Title IX Tramples First Amendment - California Globe - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- BRACK: S.C. Senate is poking free speech bear on abortion Statehouse Report - Statehouse Report - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]
- Will AG Ken Paxton join the fight for freedom of speech? - Wilson County News - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]
- The UK Government Wants to Scrap the Human Rights Act. Here's What to Know. - Global Citizen - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]
- Cancel culture empowers the powerful at everyone elses expense - Foundation for Individual Rights in Education - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]
- Repressive executive order from UNC Chapel Hill student government cuts off funding for pro-life individuals, causes - Foundation for Individual... - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]
- Editorial: Alex Jones' lessons on the First and Sixth Amendments - CT Insider - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]
- NEW for 7/29: How abortion now works in S.C., and more Statehouse Report - Statehouse Report - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]
- Why Does The State Panic Over Free Speech? - The Friday Times - July 27th, 2022 [July 27th, 2022]
- How to Fix the Bias Against Free Speech on Campus - The Atlantic - July 17th, 2022 [July 17th, 2022]
- Universities are in denial over the free-speech crisis - Spiked - July 17th, 2022 [July 17th, 2022]
- Who Really Benefits From the First Amendment? - Tablet Magazine - July 17th, 2022 [July 17th, 2022]
- Legal Eagle: Is free speech abused to flout others rights? - Free Press Journal - July 17th, 2022 [July 17th, 2022]
- Free speech 'stifled' as universities cancel record number of speakers - The Telegraph - July 17th, 2022 [July 17th, 2022]
- The Online Safety Bill could lead to the biggest curtailment of free speech in modern history - The Telegraph - July 17th, 2022 [July 17th, 2022]
- LAWSUIT: Professor sues University of Washington after admins punish him for 'inappropriate' opinion - Foundation for Individual Rights in Education - July 17th, 2022 [July 17th, 2022]
- VICTORY: Art institute reverses expulsion for student who retweeted sexual art - Foundation for Individual Rights in Education - July 17th, 2022 [July 17th, 2022]
- Twitter and Freedom of Speech | News, Sports, Jobs - The Mining Gazette - Daily Mining Gazette - June 26th, 2022 [June 26th, 2022]
- Amber Heard, the ACLU, and the Future of Free Speech - Reason - June 26th, 2022 [June 26th, 2022]
- In my view: Freedom of speech is important - Slough and Windsor Observer - June 26th, 2022 [June 26th, 2022]
- New AGB Resource Prepares Higher Education Board Members to Balance Freedom of Speech with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - PR Web - June 26th, 2022 [June 26th, 2022]
- 'What's the point inviting me on!' Piers Morgan and student erupt in free speech row - Express - June 26th, 2022 [June 26th, 2022]
- Binance CEO says 'free speech is very hard to define' - Business Insider - June 26th, 2022 [June 26th, 2022]
- The Deeper Significance of Justice Thomas's Second Amendment Opinion - The Epoch Times - June 26th, 2022 [June 26th, 2022]
- Twitter and freedom of speech - Washington Times - June 22nd, 2022 [June 22nd, 2022]
- Bill of Rights to strengthen freedom of speech and curb bogus human rights claims - GOV.UK - June 22nd, 2022 [June 22nd, 2022]
- Twitter and the freedom of speech | Opinion | journal-spectator.com - Wharton Journal Spectator - June 22nd, 2022 [June 22nd, 2022]