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
LATEST NEWS & ANALYSIS
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Press Statement
Knight Institute Comments on Supreme Court Ruling on Public Officials and Social Media Blocking
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Supreme Court today adopted a new rule for determining when public officials who use personal social media accounts may be liable when they block people or delete comments. The decision came in Lindke v. Freed, a case...
LITIGATION & ADVOCACY
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Amicus Brief
Moody v. NetChoice & NetChoice v. Paxton
Supreme Court cases challenging Florida and Texas laws regulating social media platforms
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Amicus Brief
Murthy v. Missouri
A Supreme Court case challenging the Biden administration’s alleged efforts to censor disinformation online
RESEARCH
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Essays and Scholarship
Recommenders With Values: Developing recommendation engines in a public service organization
An inside look at how the BBC develops its recommendation systems
By Alessandro Piscopo , Anna McGovern , Lianne Kerlin , North Kuras , James Fletcher , Calum Wiggins & Megan Stamper -
Essays and Scholarship
Free Speech, Identity, and Power
Observations on the state of free speech from a longtime free speech advocate.
By Gara LaMarche -
Essays and Scholarship
Anonymity, Identity, and Lies
Contrary to assumptions about user identification in online contexts, anonymity can often be part of a healthy digital public sphere.
By Artur Pericles Lima Monteiro
Events
Columbia University
Optimizing for What? Algorithmic Amplification and Society
A two-day symposium exploring algorithmic amplification and distortion as well as potential interventions
Columbia University and online
Lies, Free Speech, and the Law
A symposium exploring how the law regulates or should regulate false and misleading speech
Italian Academy Teatro, Columbia University, and online
Lies and Democracy
Political lies, American democracy, and the “Big Lie”