
Free Speech & Social Media
Safeguarding the vitality and integrity of public discourse online
Conversations that once took place in parks, sidewalks, and public squares now take place largely online, and often on privately owned social media platforms. As a society, we are just beginning to grapple with the question of how the First Amendment and free speech principles should apply in these digital spaces.
Our work seeks to illuminate the forces that are shaping public discourse online, and to ensure the inclusivity and integrity of digital spaces that are increasingly important to our democracy.
Featured
Blog
A Third Federal Appeals Court Addresses Social Media Blocking
Agrees that public officials who use social media accounts to further their official duties must comply with the First Amendment
LATEST NEWS & ANALYSIS
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Press Statement
Justice Department Abandons Request that Supreme Court Hear Case Relating to Trump’s Now-Defunct Twitter Account
Knight Institute says Court should leave landmark appeals court ruling in place
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Press Statement
Knight Institute Comments on Permanent Suspension of President Trump’s Twitter Account
Says the action effectively moots Knight Institute v. Trump but Appeals Court’s decision will continue to shape how public officials use social media
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Press Statement
Knight Institute Comments on Suspension of President Trump’s Social Media Accounts
Says platforms’ actions are justifiable
LITIGATION & ADVOCACY
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Amicus Brief
Campbell v. Reisch
A lawsuit challenging a state representative’s blocking of a critic on Twitter
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Lawsuit
Knight Institute v. Trump
A lawsuit challenging President Trump's blocking of critics on Twitter
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Lawsuit
Knight Institute v. Trump
A second lawsuit challenging President Trump’s blocking of critics on Twitter
RESEARCH
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Blog
Top 100: The most popular social media platforms and what they can teach us
Moving past U.S. and Facebook centrism
By Ethan Zuckerman & Chand Rajendra-Nicolucci -
Blog
Deplatforming Our Way to the Alt-Tech Ecosystem
What happens when you exile users and communities?
By Ethan Zuckerman & Chand Rajendra-Nicolucci -
Blog
Local Logic: It's not always a beautiful day in the neighborhood
The advantages and disadvantages of local platforms and their potential to support healthy communities on- and offline
By Ethan Zuckerman & Chand Rajendra-Nicolucci
Events
Antitrust, Big Tech, and Free Speech: A Conversation with Bilal Sayyed
A Federal Trade Commission official discusses debates around breaking up the tech giants
New York, NY
The Tech Giants, Monopoly Power, and Public Discourse
A symposium examining free speech implications of "breaking up" today's giant online platforms