Litigation
The Institute defends the freedoms of speech and of the press through strategic litigation designed to have a meaningful impact on the law, on public policy, and on public opinion. We litigate cases that have the potential to establish important new legal principles concerning the system of free expression, to influence the practices of powerful actors in that system, and to raise public awareness about contemporary structural threats to that system. We focus especially on complex and challenging cases that relate to new technology, including new communications platforms, and we favor cases that afford us the opportunity to draw on insights generated by our research program.
Our litigation prioritizes cases in our three focus areas, Free Speech & Social Media, Transparency & Democracy, and Privacy & Surveillance.
Featured
Doc Society v. Pompeo
A lawsuit challenging the State Department’s social media registration requirement
LATEST NEWS & ANALYSIS
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Analysis
Visiting the US? The Government is Reading Your Old Facebook Posts
A new lawsuit could help stop the surveillance of 14 million people a year who visit the US. The courts must put an end to overreach.
By Carrie DeCell & Cristian Farias -
Analysis
A New U.S. Visa Requirement is Silencing Foreign Filmmakers
Policy infringes on filmmakers' freedom of expression and interferes with Americans' ability to engage with diverse international thinkers
By Simon Kilmurry -
Our Docket
Showing 1–10 of 26
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Lawsuit
Doc Society v. Pompeo
A lawsuit challenging the State Department’s social media registration requirement
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Amicus Brief
Amawi v. Pflugerville Independent School District
A lawsuit challenging Texas's anti-BDS law
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Lawsuit
ACLU v. CIA & Knight Institute v. DOD
Two FOIA lawsuits seeking records related to the government censorship system of "prepublication review"
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Lawsuit
Francis v. DOJ
A FOIA lawsuit seeking disclosure of Office of Legal Counsel opinions issued over 25 years ago
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Lawsuit
Freedom of the Press Foundation v. DOJ
A FOIA lawsuit for records concerning the surveillance of journalists
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Lawsuit
Knight Institute v. DHS
A FOIA lawsuit seeking records on ideological screening at the border
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Amicus Brief
Democratic National Committee v. Russian Federation
A lawsuit against WikiLeaks implicating important press freedoms
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Amicus Brief
National Veterans Legal Services Program v. United States
A lawsuit challenging fees the federal judiciary charges for access to court records
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Lawsuit
Knight Institute v. DHS
A FOIA lawsuit seeking records relating to searches of electronic devices at the U.S. border