Monday, August 13, 2018
#FREESPEECH IN THE NEWS: AUGUST 13, 2018
As the Citadel of Free Speech here in Cleveland, we work to protect and promote the basis of our democracy by sharing related stories, commentary, and opinions on free speech in the 21st century. Here's what's making the news – and what you should know about – in the past week.
1.) Trump still blocking dozens of twitter users, free speech group says
President Donald Trump, despite being ordered by a judge that his Twitter account could not block other users, is still blocking about 40 accounts.
Columbia University’s Knight First Amendment Institute sent a letter to the Department of Justice informing the agency that there were still blocked accounts. Nearly all of the accounts are critical of the president, his policies or both.
In May, District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald ruled that blocking users violated their first amendment right to free speech, since the president used to platform for official government business.
2.) 3D-printed guns and free speech
Plans for a 3-D printed gun is sparking a debate about whether or not it poses first and second amendment issues.
Proponents of the plans say not allowing the plans to be published violate free speech and the right to bear arms. Opponents say the plans could be used to do harm, since gun use and ownership, while permitted, is still regulated under various state and federal U.S. laws.
“If 3D-printed guns are untraceable “ghost guns,” require a state-issued serial number and a piece of metal, as California does, and a gunsmith license, as New York is considering. Congress and state legislatures are not powerless. They can mitigate, though probably not entirely prevent, the danger of 3D-printed guns without trampling the First Amendment.”
3.) Tech giants struggle with balance of free speech
Social media platforms and constitutional rights have come to a head again after Alex Jones was recently banned from several sites last week. Jones was said to have continued to post prohibited content despite being warned numerous times not to do so.
Such use of these platforms, despite not being government entities, has implications that could amount to dangerous consequences.
“While the platforms may not have anticipated the influx of hate speech and meddling from foreign powers like Russia, North Korea and China, Bajarin said, they should have acted more quickly once they found it. ‘The fact is we’re dealing with a brave new world that they’ve allowed to happen, and they need to take more control to keep it from spreading,’ he said.”
