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
Zuckerman v. Meta Platforms, Inc.
A case arguing that Section 230 protects tools that empower people to control what they see on social media.
LATEST NEWS & ANALYSIS
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Press Statement
Knight Institute Comments on Upcoming D.C. Circuit Argument in Federal TikTok Ban Case
Ban violates the First Amendment by restricting Americans from accessing foreign media, Institute says
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Press Statement
Knight Institute, First Amendment Scholars File Amicus Brief in Case Challenging SEC Climate Disclosure Rule
Say requiring public companies to make climate-related disclosures does not violate First Amendment
Our Docket
Showing 21–30 of 68
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FOIA Lawsuit
Knight Institute v. Department of State
A FOIA lawsuit seeking records relating to the Biden administration’s review of the use of social media identifiers in visa vetting
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FOIA Lawsuit
Knight Institute v. Department of State
A FOIA lawsuit seeking records related to foreign state efforts to influence platforms’ content moderation
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FOIA Lawsuit
Knight Institute v. CDC
A FOIA lawsuit seeking policies restricting CDC employees' speech
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Lawsuit
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals v. Tabak
A lawsuit challenging health agencies’ practice of blocking social media comments containing keywords associated with viewpoints critical of animal testing
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Amicus Brief
A & R Engineering and Testing, Inc. v. Scott
A lawsuit challenging Texas’s anti-BDS law
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FOIA Lawsuit
Knight Institute v. DHS
A FOIA lawsuit seeking records on ideological screening at the border
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Amicus Brief
Gonzalez v. Google LLC
A Supreme Court case addressing whether Section 230 shields internet platforms for their use of recommendation algorithms.
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Amicus Brief
Twitter, Inc. v. Taamneh
A Supreme Court case addressing when online platforms can be held liable for aiding and abetting terrorism.
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Amicus Brief
Krasno v. Mnookin
A case challenging the suppression of speech on a public university’s social media accounts
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