Editors’ Note: Next week, The Free Flow will be on a hiatus as our team finalizes preparations for the 2026 Global Free Speech Summit, taking place October 2-3 at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. At this year’s Summit, renowned global experts will discuss solutions to the most pressing free speech challenges in the digital era.

This Week at a Glance 🔎

• 🇺🇲 Judge Blocks White House Media Ban

• 📵 Meta Blocks Ads for Virginia Woolf Play

• 🇮🇱 Israeli Election Panel Bars Arab Parties

• 🧑‍⚖️ Judge Calls Montana Deepfake Law Unconstitutional

• 🇬🇪 Georgia Jails Critics Over Online Speech

First of All 🇺🇲

» Judge Blocks White House Media Ban

• A federal judge ordered the White House to restore press access for MS NOW, CNN, and Politico, ruling that President Donald Trump’s ban on the outlets likely violates the First Amendment. Hours later, reporters from all three were denied entry.

• Context:

  • Trump announced the ban Sept. 18, accusing the outlets of spreading “fake news.”

  • The following day, three reporters from each outlet had their credentials confiscated or disabled.

  • The outlets sued Monday, citing their free speech, free press, and due process rights.

• The Ruling:

  • US District Judge Tim Kelly ordered the administration to return the outlets’ press passes immediately and blocked enforcement of the ban for 14 days.

  • Kelly said precedent entitles journalists to due process before their passes are revoked and rejected the government’s claim that the ban protected national security.

• The Aftermath:

  • Politico and CNN said their staff were turned away. An MS NOW reporter said it was unclear whether the White House was defying the order or its entry system had failed.

Our Take: Ashkhen Kazaryan argues the policy likely violates the First Amendment. “The President has discretion over access to specific events, but that does not give him authority to punish reporting he doesn’t like by excluding outlets from ordinary press access.”

» Judge Limits UC Deadnaming and Misgendering Policy

• A federal judge barred the University of California (UC) from punishing members of the grassroots organization Defending Education (DE) for deadnaming and misgendering.

• Context:

  • Deadnaming is the intentional use of a transgender person’s former name.

  • DE’s lawsuit alleged the school’s sexual violence and harassment policy, which lists deadnaming as potential harassment, violated students’ free speech.

  • Deadnaming was also presented as harassment during the school’s mandatory anti-discrimination training and in its website FAQ, according to the group.

  • UC said it removed the example from its training materials.

• The Ruling:

  • U.S. District Judge Fred W. Slaughter issued a preliminary injunction, finding the policy “compels speech and is viewpoint-based.”

  • The injunction bars UC from punishing DE members for deadnaming temporarily while the case proceeds.

  • Slaughter declined DE’s request for a broader injunction, which means UC can continue enforcing the policy on other students.

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The Digital Age 🤖

» Meta Blocks Ads for a Virginia Woolf Play

• Meta blocked a Barcelona theatre from promoting its adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own because the work includes “social topics.”

• Context:

  • The play adapts a series of Woolf’s 1928 talks on women’s access to education.

  • In July 2025, Meta announced it would block political, electoral, and social issue ads in the EU in response to the Regulation on the Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising, as mentioned in a previous Free Flow.

• Details:

  • Meta told Teatre Raval its automated system blocked the content because it usually flags any mention of “civil rights, feminism or social reform” as “social topics” and filters them out.

  • Meta recommended removing “key words” so the text wouldn’t appear to encourage activism.

  • Actress Clara Sanchis said it was unclear whether the ad was rejected “because of the name of Virginia Woolf or because of the word feminism, or both.”

  • A Meta spokesperson later said the ad “was removed in error and quickly restored.”

» Judge Rules Montana Deepfake Law Unconstitutional

• U.S. District Judge Susan Watters said a Montana law regulating the use of AI deepfakes in elections violates the First Amendment.

• The Case:

  • A political action committee (PAC) sent mailers containing AI images of candidates, some altered to show Pride flags and buttons.

  • Rep. Eric Albus, House candidate Jennifer Carlson, and Senate candidate Llew Jones filed complaints against the committee.

  • Judge Watters ruled in favor of the PAC, saying the plaintiffs are likely to show viewpoint discrimination.

  • Although plaintiffs asked for an injunction, the state pointed to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Trump v. CASA, which limits federal court judges’ use of broad injunctions to strike down laws.

  • Judge Watters said the court lacked authority to issue a “universal injunction,” and tailored the ruling to the plaintiffs.

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The Brussels Effect: Europe and Beyond 🇪🇺

» UK Launches Center to Fight “Information Warfare”

• UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced a new National Centre for Information Defense to detect, attribute, and disrupt information attacks by foreign powers.

• Details:

  • He told world leaders that Russian agencies have “spread lies and disinformation” through bots, fake websites, and falsified news articles.

  • He added that AI will multiply cyber threats to companies and institutions.

  • The UK will use its experience to help other countries, having already assisted Moldova curb alleged Russian electoral interference.

  • Big Brother Watch warned that the center must be limited to foreign threats and subject to safeguards and oversight, noting existing counter-disinformation units have flagged lawful criticism of the government by journalists and lawmakers.

Free Speech Recession 🌍

» Netanyahu Eyes Stripping Critics of Citizenship

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a bill that would allow the revocation of citizenship from people who defame the country’s soldiers abroad.

• Context:

  • The announcement comes after Israel’s Culture Minister asked the government to revoke “NAZA” filmmakers’ citizenship, as mentioned in last week’s Free Flow.

  • The film on Israel’s actions in Gaza sparked backlash, with protesters outside one director’s home chanting “death sentence for traitors.”

  • Intruders also broke into the offices of +972 Magazine, which co-published investigations used in the film.

  • Netanyahu called out the film’s creators and announced a bill to allow higher defamation payouts.

» Israeli Election Panel Bars Arab Parties

• Israel’s Central Elections Committee voted to disqualify all majority-Arab parties from the Oct. 27 election.

• Context:

  • Israeli law allows the committee to bar parties and candidates that support armed struggle against Israel or reject Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.

  • The committee is made up mostly of politicians from Knesset parties, and the governing coalition holds a majority.

  • The Supreme Court must approve any disqualification; it will review the decisions next week.

• Details:

  • The committee voted 18-5 to bar both the Joint List — an alliance of the Balad, Hadash, and Ta’al parties — and Ra’am, the first Arab party to join a governing coalition.

  • The Joint List said the decisions would disenfranchise more than 1 million voters, about 20% of Israel’s citizens.

  • The committee also voted 19-5 to bar Hadash lawmaker Ofer Cassif, who is Jewish. The Supreme Court overturned a similar ban on him in 2019.

  • In a separate 30-4 vote, the committee disqualified Balad leader Sami Abu Shehadeh over an article he published calling Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack “an important historic event militarily, politically and strategically.”

  • Unlike the other bans, his drew support from all opposition parties, the attorney general, and the committee’s chair, a Supreme Court justice. Abu Shehadeh denies supporting violence.

» Guinea Bans France 24

• Guinea’s media regulator banned France 24 over “remarks deemed to undermine the dignity of the head of state.”

• Details:

  • The High Authority for Communications (HAC) issued a warning after a presenter described President Mamady Doumbouya as a “putschist president.”

  • France 24 posted an online correction below the video broadcast that it “mistakenly labelled” Doumbouya.

  • The day prior, Guinea also withdrew a Jeune Afrique correspondent’s press accreditation, alleging “professional misconduct.”

• France 24 and other French media have been banned across the Sahel region, as mentioned in previous Free Flows.

» Georgia Jails Critics Over Online Speech

• Since June, Georgia’s Division for Combating Hate Speech has referred hundreds of social media posts to courts on speech-related charges.

• Context:

  • A 2025 amendment made “verbal abuse, swearing, persistent insult and/or other offensive actions” toward officials over their work punishable by fines of 1,500–4,000 lari (about $550–$1,500) or up to 45 days of detention.

  • Repeat offenses carry fines of 2,500–6,000 lari (about $920–$2,200) or 5–60 days detention.

  • Enforcement intensified after the Ministry of Interior created a Division for Combating Hate Speech in June, as mentioned in a previous Free Flow.

  • By August 1, the division had sent about 300 cases to courts, and judges had ruled on about 130.

• Notable Cases:

  • In July, a court jailed journalist Vakho Sanaia for 14 days over a Facebook post about the parliament speaker and a lawmaker, as covered in a previous Free Flow.

  • Physician and activist Giorgi Akhobadze received 25 days of detention in July, for statements about officials and a police officer.

  • In September, police opened a profanity case against blogger Tornike Razmadze over a Facebook post comparing the prime minister’s statements to those of Russian propagandists.

Our Take: Natalie Alkiviadou analyzed a European Court of Human Rights’ ruling that Georgia did not violate Irakli Miladze’s rights by fining him for a TikTok video criticizing transit reforms and officials. She argued the court’s approach weakens protections for online political expression across Europe.

» Canadian Court Faults University’s Lecture Cancellation

• A federally appointed Canadian judge ruled University of Lethbridge’s (U of L) cancellation of a lecture by academic Frances Widdowson was “fatally flawed.”

• Context:

  • Widdowson was invited by a U of L faculty member to give a talk called “How ‘Woke-ism’ Threatens Academic Freedom” in 2023.

  • Two petitions with 4,000+ signatures pressured the university to cancel the event.

  • The school first planned to allow the talk, citing its free expression policy and saying it did not share her views, but later reversed course.

  • Widdowson and student Jonah Pickle argued the cancellation violated their free expression and assembly rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

  • The University said it is reviewing the ruling.

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Ashley Haek is a Communications Manager at The Future of Free Speech.

Ajdin Muratovic is the Director of Communications at The Future of Free Speech and the Managing Editor of The Bedrock Principle.

Join Us! The 2026 Global Free Speech Summit returns on October 2–3 in Nashville, TN. Hosted by The Future of Free Speech and Vanderbilt University, this event brings together global leaders, thinkers, and change-makers to confront the most urgent threats to freedom of expression and explore bold, resilient solutions. Guests will have the opportunity to attend networking receptions where they can exchange ideas with speakers and other guests.

🎟️ Spots are limited. Get your tickets here.

This Week at a Glance 🔎

• 🇺🇲 U.S. Senate Marks Up “Jawboning” Legislation

• 📲 California Enacts Child-Safety Tech Laws

• 🇪🇺 EU Unveils Kids Act

• 🇹🇷 Turkey Detains Dozens in Anti-LGBTQ+ Raids

• 🇧🇩 Bangladesh Cyber Protection Draft Amendments Threaten Media

First of All 🇺🇲

» Senate Marks Up “Jawboning” Legislation

• The Senate Commerce Committee approved legislation targeting “jawboning,” or government pressure on companies to censor certain speech.

• The Bill:

  • Individuals, broadcasters, and platforms could sue government agencies or employees over coercion to alter or remove speech.

  • It requires a public database of government communications with platforms, broadcasters, and AI providers.

  • It would potentially strip Section 230 protection from platforms that make content decisions based on government communications.

  • Exceptions are carved out for communications that are part of investigations, federal law enforcement, or national security.

  • The bill received bipartisan support in the committee, reflecting frustration with government censorship across the political spectrum.

Our Take: Jeff Kosseff wrote that the bill, building on First Amendment precedent, would better protect the companies and individuals facing government pressure by creating a private right of action and providing transparency.

» Kimmel Shelves Talarico Interview Over FCC Threats

• ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel declined to air his interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico over fears the FCC would target it for violating the equal time rule.

• Details:

  • Instead, Kimmel’s show posted the interview to YouTube, where it drew 3.6 million views in 16 hours – more than double his typical broadcast audience of 1.5 million.

• Context:

  • This is Talarico’s second streaming redirect in 2026 – Stephen Colbert’s CBS show did the same in February, as included in a previous Free Flow.

  • The equal time rule requires that broadcasters give all legally qualified candidates equal airtime.

  • Since 1984, the FCC’s “bona fide news” exemption has let chat shows freely host candidates – including Donald Trump, who appeared twice on Kimmel’s show before his 2016 nomination.

  • FCC Chairman Brendan Carr revoked the exemption in January, as mentioned in a previous Free Flow.

  • ABC pulled Kimmel off air for a week in 2025, after Carr threatened agency action over separate remarks, as detailed in a previous Free Flow.

Our Take: Ashkhen Kazaryan warned that the FCC’s actions send a message to students and future policymakers that agencies can target speech they dislike. “Our constitutional system will withstand and protect the speech rights that are under attack today. But today’s students are tomorrow’s policymakers. If we want them to inherit a First Amendment worth defending, we can’t treat it like an afterthought today.”

We’ve also submitted comments urging the FCC against the early license renewal of ABC stations, and arguing it declares The View, another ABC interview show, exempt from the rule.

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The Digital Age 🤖

» California Enacts Sweeping Child-Safety Tech Laws

• Governor Gavin Newsom signed a package of laws restricting how social media platforms and AI chatbots interact with minors.

• Details:

  • The laws ban autoplay and personalized algorithmic feeds for users under 16.

  • AI chatbot providers must alert parents when a young user shows signs of emotional distress.

  • Platforms that negligently harm children face fines up to $1 million per child.

  • The bills also require the state to create a registry of independent AI-safety auditors.

Our Take: Writing on Meta’s $17.1 billion child-safety settlement, Jeff Kosseff argued that government efforts to protect children online risk handing authorities the power to shape content and erode platforms’ First Amendment right to set their own policies.

The Brussels Effect: Europe and Beyond 🇪🇺

» EU Unveils KIDS Act

• The European Commission proposed the “EU Kids Act,” setting bloc-wide age restrictions for social media and other online services.

• Age Restrictions:

  • Under 13: barred from social media unless a parent opens the account and the platform proves it’s a “child-friendly” service.

  • Ages 13–15: parents can open accounts, but with added safeguards — parental oversight, one-hour screen-time limits, and restrictions on contact with strangers.

  • From 15: teens can open their own accounts.

• Additional Provisions:

  • The act covers social networks, video-sharing platforms, AI companions, chatbots, and certain gaming services – a wider net than Australia’s regulations.

  • Companies face penalties up to 6 percent of global annual sales.

• Context: The proposal follows more than a dozen member states floating their own social media bans, pressuring the Commission to act.

• What’s next: Commission officials expect approval in 8–12 months, though approval by Parliament and member states could take up to two years.

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Free Speech Recession 🌍

» Hong Kong Court Jails Tiananmen Vigil Leaders

• A Hong Kong (HK) court sentenced three organizers of annual Tiananmen Square remembrance vigils to up to seven years in prison for inciting subversion under the Beijing-imposed national security law.

• Context:

  • Lee Cheuk-yan received seven years; Chow Hang-tung, seven years and three months; and Albert Ho, who pleaded guilty, five years and two months.

  • They were convicted of “inciting subversion” earlier this month under a 2020 Beijing-imposed national security law, as mentioned in a previous Free Flow.

  • HK activists held vigils for three decades, until China banned the annual event during the pandemic.

  • Lee and Chow plan to appeal.

» Turkey Detains Dozens in Anti-LGBTQ+ Raids

• Turkish police detained at least 63 people in raids on gay bars and activists’ homes across major cities.

• Details:

  • The nation-wide crackdown launched legal proceedings against 162 individuals, nine organizations, and 13 companies, and blocked 100+ LGBTQ+ accounts on X.

  • Justice Minister Akin Gurlek tied the raids to a “Decade of the Family” initiative aimed at “protecting our children, the institution of the family, and social order.”

  • Turkey’s LGBTQ+ community is a symbol of resistance to the country’s conservative rule, making it a target of recurring crackdowns.

  • President Recep Erdogan, in power since 2003, has repeatedly called LGBTQ+ people “perverts” and blamed them for declining birth rates.

» Bangladesh Cyber Protection Draft Amendments Threaten Media

• Draft amendments to Bangladesh’s Cyber Protection Act would jail journalists for up to 10 years for circulating “rumor” and “misinformation” online.

• Details:

  • The amendments criminalize material that authorities deem “unsubstantiated or unverified” and likely to cause public confusion, panic, or unrest.

  • Cases would go before a specialized Cyber Tribunal, which could also suspend or cancel news outlets’ licenses.

  • Information and Broadcasting Minister Andaleeve Rahman said the amendments aim to stop “disorder” online and protect social harmony.

  • Previously, 255+ journalists were sued under Bangladesh’s Digital Security Act, which governed online speech from 2018–2023.

» Iran Advances Bill Restricting Contact With Foreign Media

• An Iranian bill requiring pre-approval from the Intelligence Ministry and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps for foreign interactions is advancing.

• Details:

  • Interviews and communications with “hostile” media, as well as sending materials to foreign media, is punishable by up to 2 years in prison.

  • Publishing articles and joining academic exchanges or conferences also requires pre-approval.

  • Parliament approved the bill’s framework 183- 4 in mid-August; its articles have since expanded from 19 to 33, though only the first two have passed the floor.

  • The bill will still require Guardian Council approval to become law.

» Egypt Holds Sudanese Journalist Incommunicado

• Egyptian authorities detained Al-Sudani editor-in-chief Ataf Mohamed Mokhtar and are holding him incommunicado.

• Details:

  • Authorities have disclosed no legal basis for his detention or whereabouts.

  • The arrest came after Ataf commented on a UN expert’s Sudan report that linked the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the war, which it has denied.

  • Some outlets suspect UAE complaints led to his arrest.

  • He is being held at an undisclosed location where he is prohibited from speaking with anyone outside.

» Israeli Minister Seeks to Strip Documentary Directors of Citizenship

• Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar formally asked the government to revoke the citizenship of Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, directors of the documentary “NAZA.”

• Details:

  • The documentary examines “the systems behind Israel’s calculated mass killing” in Gaza after October 7, 2023.

  • Abraham says that Israelis need to hear directly from soldiers in the film; the Israeli Film Council accuses the film of maligning the troops.

  • Zohar wants an inquiry into whether the film constitutes “treason” or “aiding the enemy during wartime,” crimes, he argues, that free expression cannot excuse.

  • “Naza” won a prize at the 2026 Venice Film Festival, a year after the directors won an Oscar for “No Other Land,” about the Israeli occupation of the West Bank.

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Ashley Haek is a Communications Manager at The Future of Free Speech.

Ajdin Muratovic is the Director of Communications at The Future of Free Speech and the Managing Editor of The Bedrock Principle.

Join Us! The 2026 Global Free Speech Summit returns on October 2–3 in Nashville, TN. Hosted by The Future of Free Speech and Vanderbilt University, this event brings together global leaders, thinkers, and change-makers to confront the most urgent threats to freedom of expression and explore bold, resilient solutions. Guests will have the opportunity to attend networking receptions where they can exchange ideas with speakers and other guests.

🎟️ Spots are limited. Get your tickets here.

This Week at a Glance 🔎

• 🇺🇸 Judge lets Pentagon fire Stars and Stripes journalists

• 🇺🇸 FCC chair eyes “a lot of actions” after Trump targets NBC anchor

• 🇫🇷 Macron pushes EU-wide social media ban for under-15s

• 🇬🇧 UK police made 62,199 “speech offense” arrests in five years

• 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan jails election monitor for 13 years

First of All 🇺🇸

» Judge Lets Pentagon Fire Journalists

• A federal judge declined to block the Pentagon from firing three Stars and Stripes staffers who say they were punished for speaking out.

• Context:

  • 📰 Stars and Stripes is a military paper partially funded by the Pentagon. It is legally required to remain editorially independent.

  • Editor-in-chief Erik Slavin and reporter Lara Korte got separation notices after a CBS interview on the paper’s independence, as covered in a previous Free Flow

  • Pentagon officials directed publisher Max Lederer to fire the pair; he refused and instead announced his retirement.

• The Ruling:

  • ⚖️ U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden ruled Slavin and Korte spoke in their official roles, making their words speech that the First Amendment does not protect.

  • McFadden said editorial independence “is not at stake here” and that the plaintiffs failed to show that their firing will chill free speech.

  • At least two other suits accuse the Pentagon of interfering with the outlet’s editorial integrity and independence.

» FCC Chair Eyes Action Against Broadcasters

• FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said the agency is “looking at a lot of actions” after President Trump demanded it punish NBC’s Kristen Welker.

• Details: :

  • 📺 Welker argued that Trump-backed candidates had “mixed results” in primaries, as noted in last week’s Free Flow

  • Trump accused her of “purposeful inaccuracy” and said she “will be reported to the FCC for rebuke or punishment.”

  • Carr signaled the FCC is weighing a ban on broadcasting “fake” polls, among other policies on political coverage.

Our Take: The Trump administration has used the FCC to target speech. We’ve been pushing back. At the Washington Examiner, Ashkhen Kazaryan and the ACLU’s Jenna Leventoff wrote: “The FCC has made its goal clear: It wants to retaliate against broadcasters with a different political bent by burying them in baseless regulatory enforcement. Such a move sends a warning to other media that they should walk the administration’s preferred line or else.”

» Court Declines to Block Minnesota “Nudify” Ban

• U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank again denied xAI’s request for a preliminary injunction against a Minnesota ban on AI tools that make sexual images of real people without their consent.

• Details:

  • ⚖️ The law, passed with near-unanimous bipartisan support, was signed in May and took effect August 1.

  • It bans website operators and software developers from using AI to create fake nudes of identifiable people, with fines of up to $500,000 per unlawful download.

  • xAI called the law a “clumsy attempt” and an “overbroad, content-based ban on free speech.”

  • xAI added that it already bars users from making nonconsensual nude images, and it has sued users who bypass its blocks to do so.

Our Take: The law “would likely discourage companies entirely from offering image generation in those states,” Jeff Kosseff warned at The Bedrock Principle. “Companies would fear that they could not guarantee with absolute certainty that users would not misuse their services, and it is unlikely that they would risk a half-million-dollar fine each time a user circumvented their controls.”

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The Digital Age 🤖

» U.S. Slams UK Plan to Boost Traditional Media

• The U.S. Embassy in London warned that a UK plan to make platforms boost traditional broadcasters “risks becoming a mechanism for viewpoint-based censorship.”

• Details:

  • 🇺🇸 The U.S. said it sets “a template that authoritarian regimes could invoke” and risks “extraterritorial censorship of protected speech by Americans.”

  • The Embassy asked what safeguards would keep UK officials’ preferences from sidelining minority viewpoints.

  • Supporters of boosting traditional media outlets such as the BBC argue that it helps combat disinformation and preserve culturally British content.

The Brussels Effect: Europe and Beyond 🇪🇺

» Macron Pushes for Under-15s Social Media Ban

• French President Emmanuel Macron urged Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to pass an EU-wide ban on social media for children under 15.

• Details:

  • Macron is turning to Brussels after France’s Constitutional Council struck down a domestic ban, as covered in a previous Free Flow.

  • Von der Leyen has backed a tiered approach that loosens restrictions as children get older; Macron wants a blanket ban for everyone under 15.

  • Several EU states — including Spain and Denmark — want to copy Australia’s landmark ban, but members differ on how to rein in addictive platforms.

» MEPs Demand EU Action on Meta

• Fifty-two MEPs demanded the Commission force Meta to strip addictive features for European minors, matching the company’s promise to U.S. states.

• Details:

  • ✉️ The letter points to Meta’s $16.7 billion settlement with U.S. states, in which it agreed to limit teen social media use, as detailed in a previous Free Flow.

  • The MEPs argue that EU inaction has left European children less protected than American ones.

  • They are also frustrated that the EU has yet to close its 2024 Digital Services Act probe into Meta.

  • MEPs want immediate fines, and, if needed, court-ordered shutdowns, which bite cash-rich tech companies far harder.

» 62,000 UK “Speech Offense” Arrests

• UK police have arrested 62,199 people for “speech offenses” in five years, per a Big Brother Watch report.

• Details:

  • 🚓 The organization argues that the “elasticity of vaguely defined speech offenses” in legislation enables overzealous policing.

  • Many activists agree that threats of violence warrant police intervention, but they argue officers are increasingly targeting “thought crimes” over physical offenses.

  • Police have arrested parents for complaining about their children’s schools and urged some to complete “online thinking skills” classes.

  • Big Brother Watch is calling on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to launch a “free speech reset” by ordering a review of speech laws and police practices.

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Free Speech Recession 🌍

» Taliban Shutters Shiite TV Station

• Taliban forces raided Rah-e-Farda TV in Kabul, forced it off the air, and took owner Salman Akhlaqi to an unknown site.

• Details:

  • 📡 The raid followed the station’s coverage of a Taliban raid on a Shiite seminary in Kabul.

  • In February, the Taliban shut down the station for three months and revoked its former owners’ license before letting it reopen under Akhlaqi.

  • It is one of the last broadcasters serving Afghanistan’s Shiite community.

» Russia Brands Novaya Gazeta “Foreign Agent”

• Russia’s Justice Ministry designated Novaya Gazeta a “foreign agent”

• Details::

  • 🇷🇺 Authorities claim the outlet publicly opposed the invasion of Ukraine, spread false election information, and collaborated with other “foreign agents.”

  • The label forces disclaimers on all published content, including social media posts.

  • Over 100 individuals tied to the paper were listed as “affiliated with foreign agents.”

  • Russia has expanded its “foreign agents” list to over 1,250 people and entities — including Nobel Prize winners and poets — in an ongoing effort to silence dissent.

» Azerbaijan Jails Election Monitor for 13 Years

• A Baku court sentenced election monitor Anar Mammadli and journalist Anar Abdullayev to 13 and 12 years in prison.

• Details:

  • ⚖️ Mammadli was charged with smuggling, illegal business, money laundering, tax evasion, and forgery.

  • Activists argue the government arbitrarily denied bail, withheld evidence, and barred witness cross-examination.

  • This is not Mammadli’s first conviction — the European Court of Human Rights found that his 2014 pre-trial arrest and detention violated the Convention on Human Rights.

  • Azerbaijan has intensified its crackdown on dissent, sentencing nine Toplum TV journalists to 12 to 15 years in prison on similar charges in July.

» Tunisian Journalists Protest Editor’s Arrest

• Journalists rallied outside a Tunis court after police arrested Mohamed Yousfi, editor of Al-Qatiba and a critic of President Kais Saied.

• Details:

  • 🚔 A judge was questioning Yousfi over illicit enrichment and money laundering charges protesters call fake.

  • Yousfi — a vocal critic of President Kais Saied — is one of several media figures the authorities have arrested this year.

  • While Tunisia saw free speech flourish after its 2011 revolution, critics say President Saied is now consolidating power and silencing dissent.

» Iran Jails Man Over Social Media Posts

• Iran sentenced café chain owner Sadegh Saeedinia to 12+ years and seized all his property for posting in support of January’s protests.

• Details:

  • 🇮🇷 Saeedinia was convicted of “propaganda against national security” and acting “on behalf of hostile groups.”

  • He supported January’s anti-regime protests on Instagram and encouraged his employees to participate.

  • Since 1979, Iran has seized regime critics’ assets — a practice it escalated following January’s protests and a war with the U.S. and its allies.

  • Reports document the seizure of property belonging to more than 400 critics this year.

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Ashley Haek is a Communications Manager at The Future of Free Speech.

Ajdin Muratovic is the Director of Communications at The Future of Free Speech and the Managing Editor of The Bedrock Principle.

Join Us! The 2026 Global Free Speech Summit returns on October 2–3 in Nashville, TN. Hosted by The Future of Free Speech and Vanderbilt University, this event brings together global leaders, thinkers, and change-makers to confront the most urgent threats to freedom of expression and explore bold, resilient solutions. Guests will have the opportunity to attend networking receptions where they can exchange ideas with speakers and other guests.

🎟️ Spots are limited. Get your tickets here.

This Week At A Glance 🔎

• 🇺🇲 Judge Rules Speech-Based Deportation Policy Unconstitutional

• 🇮🇷 Iran Revises Online Regulation Bill

• 🇪🇺 EU Adds New Platforms to DSA

• 🇹🇭 Thai Court Jails Activist Over Livestream

• 🇷🇸 Serbia Targets Opposition with Spyware

First of All 🇺🇸

» Judge Rules Speech-Based Deportation Policy Unconstitutional

• 🧑‍⚖️ A federal judge ruled the Trump administration’s attempts to arrest and deport students who criticized Israel were unconstitutional.

• Details:

  • The case was brought by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) on behalf of The Stanford Daily, a student newspaper at Stanford University.

  • The paper claimed that several members resigned or withdrew stories about Israel or Gaza, fearing it could lead to their deportation.

  • Judge Noel Wise declared that the Trump administration was using a vague provision to revoke visas or deport students over protected speech.

» House of Representatives Passes Bill Limiting University Boycotts of Israel

• 📃 The House of Representatives passed a bill that penalizes universities for participating in boycotts of Israel. The bill heads to the Senate for consideration.

• The Bill:

  • Colleges and universities participating in federal student aid programs are prohibited from participating in boycotts of Israel.

  • Institutions receiving federal funding for international study and foreign language programs must certify that they do not bar students from programs in Israel.

  • They must also not restrict students from Israel from participating in campus programs.

» Trump Asks FCC to Punish TV Host

• 📺 President Trump said he will report NBC “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker to the FCC for “rebuke or punishment” over her read of his endorsement record.

• Details:

  • Trump charged Welker with “purposeful inaccuracy” after she said his candidate endorsements had “mixed results.”

  • “The Press is a Disgrace to our Nation, and I hope that Chairman Brendan Carr, and the fine people of his Commission, will take this Threat to our Country very seriously,” Trump concluded.

  • Trump also walked out on an interview with Welker in June, after she pressed him on claims of “crooked” elections.

Our Take: We’ve submitted public comments on three FCC actions over the past few months targeting viewpoints it dislikes. At the Washington Examiner, Ashkhen Kazaryan and ACLU’s Jenna Leventoff argued, “The FCC is not the speech police, and the First Amendment dictates that it must stay out of our nation’s newsrooms, no matter how much it agrees or disagrees with coverage.”

» Treasury Bars Reporters from G20

• 🚫 The Treasury Department blocked reporters from major outlets from the G20 finance meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, without explanation.

• Details:

  • The G20 meeting gathers finance ministers and senior officials from the world’s top economies.

  • The Treasury blocked several reporters from the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg.

  • 💬 Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the denials had “nothing to do with point of view.”

  • The Times said the “stakes of this gathering are significant for the global economy” and excluding reporters is a “disservice to the public.”

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The Digital Age 🤖

» Australia Eyes Curbs on Feeds and Pornography

• 🇦🇺 Australia is considering letting users switch off algorithmic feeds and banning strangulation pornography.

• The Plan:

  • Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek announced that future regulations could allow users to opt out of social media algorithms.

  • Australia is also considering a UK-style ban on strangulation and suffocation pornography following the death of a teen from suspected asphyxiation during sex.

  • Plibersek alleges that social media algorithms are feeding boys and men violent content, including sexual strangulation.

  • The ruling Labor Party will also consult on a “digital duty of care” bill to hold tech companies responsible for users’ online safety.

» California Passes 25+ AI & Social Media Bills

• 📃 California’s legislature passed 26 bills restricting AI and social media.

• The Bills:

  • Seek to ban social media companies from providing “addictive features,” including autoplaying videos, to under-16s.

  • Impose Age-verification requirements on AI chatbots and limit the ads children see.

  • Would hold companies financially liable for not protecting children online.

  • Limit AI use in the state university system, healthcare, employer surveillance, and for retail pricing.

• 🕐 Governor Gavin Newsom has till the end of September to decide which to sign into law.

» Iran Revises Online Regulation Bill

• 🇮🇷 Iran has revised its Cyberspace Protection bill, which seeks to grant the Supreme Cyberspace Council control over the Internet.

• The Revisions:

  • The revised bill, called the Cyberspace Regulation Plan, requires Internet service providers to authenticate users, thus eroding online anonymity.

  • Foreign online platforms are required to establish a physical presence in the country.

  • It also concentrates content moderation powers in the Council, where members are handpicked by the country’s supreme leader.

  • Provisions criminalizing the use of VPNs were removed.

• It is unclear when the bill will be voted on.

The Brussels Effect: Europe and Beyond 🇪🇺

» EU Imposes New Obligations on ChatGPT, Reddit, and Roblox

• 🖥️ The EU designated Reddit and the gaming platform Roblox as “very large online platforms” and ChatGPT as a “very large online search engine,” all subject to additional obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

• Context:

  • The designation applies to platforms and search engines with over 45 million monthly active users in the EU, which the services exceeded.

  • ChatGPT is the first AI chatbot to be designated a “very large online search engine”.

• What’s Next:

  • 🕐 The platforms have four months to comply with DSA obligations

  • Obligations include addressing risks related to the spread of illegal content, negative effects on minors, users’ well-being, electoral processes, and more.

  • Companies that violate the law face up to 6% of global annual revenue.

Our Take: “The designation of ChatGPT as a very large online search engine under the DSA expands the range of obligations this product is subject to. OpenAI’s models already fell under the purview of the EU AI Act. ChatGPT itself is now subject to the DSA systemic risk provisions as well.

As we have repeatedly explained, systemic risk provisions are problematic, with vague requirements like mitigating negative effects on civic discourse. There is a real danger that such provisions result in misguided enforcement and self-censorship from companies, limiting the perspectives they provide on contested issues to avoid creating tensions with regulators.” — Jordi Calvet-Bademunt

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Free Speech Recession 🌍

» Serbia Targets Opposition with Spyware

• 🔎 In the most widespread use of spyware in Serbia, the government has been surveilling students and opposition members over the past 9 months.

• Details:

  • The incidents come as President Aleksandar Vučić prepares to hold parliamentary elections in October.

  • A nationwide student movement began after a train station canopy collapsed in November 2024, killing 16 people.

  • The movement represents a clear challenge to the ruling party.

  • Pegasus, which mirrors phones’ content, including encrypted messages, and NoviSpy, have been found on infected phones.

» Thai Court Jails Activist Over Livestream

• 🇹🇭 A Thai court sentenced activist Tantawan “Tawan” Tuatulanon to two years in prison over a 2022 Facebook livestream where she questioned police conduct.

• Details:

  • Tuatulanon questioned police dispersing farmers protesting on King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s motorcade route.

  • The court found she violated the royal insult law; she intends to appeal.

  • Proceedings are still pending for computer crimes and sedition charges for the same incident.

  • Since 2020, Thailand has charged nearly 300 people under its lese-majeste law, which carries up to 15 years in prison for insulting, defaming, or threatening the royal family.

» Cuba Tells Journalist to Leave

• 🚔 Cuban State Security warned journalist Austin Llerandi to leave the country within two months or face jail for reporting without state authorization.

• The Pressure:

  • Llerandi runs the newsletter Amanecer Habanero.

  • He has been detained numerous times, including a July 14 interrogation over “crimes against State Security.”

  • On August 21, they told him he was under investigation for violating Decree 370, which bans media the state hasn’t cleared.

» Uganda Jails Reporter Over Fake News

• 🇺🇬 Uganda has held Daily Express journalist Remmy Asiteza since August 13 on charges of “publishing fake news” and “broadcasting without a license.”

• The Case:

  • Prosecutors allege that Asiteza’s reporting on alleged corruption in the presidential cabinet and in local government is “fake news.”

  • Asiteza faces up to two years in jail and fines up to 960,000 shillings (about $257 USD).

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Ashley Haek is a Communications Manager at The Future of Free Speech.

Ajdin Muratovic is the Director of Communications at The Future of Free Speech and the Managing Editor of The Bedrock Principle.

Join Us! The 2026 Global Free Speech Summit returns on October 2–3 in Nashville, TN. Hosted by The Future of Free Speech and Vanderbilt University, this event brings together global leaders, thinkers, and change-makers to confront the most urgent threats to freedom of expression and explore bold, resilient solutions. Guests will have the opportunity to attend networking receptions where they can exchange ideas with speakers and other guests.

🎟️ Spots are limited. Get your tickets here.

This Week at a Glance 🔎

• 🇺🇲 Pentagon Fires Stars and Stripes Staffers

• 📲 Meta Settles Child-Safety Case for $18 Billion

• 🇳🇿 New Zealand Proposes Under-16s Social Media Ban

• 🇭🇰 Hong Kong Convicts Tiananmen Square Vigil Organizers

• 🎤 WaPo Ordered to Reinstate Reporter Fired Over Posts

First of All 🇺🇲

» Pentagon Fires Stars and Stripes Staffers for Insubordination

• The Department of Defense fired three employees of Stars and Stripes, a military newspaper, for insubordination over a CBS interview.

• Details:

  • In the interview, Editor-in-Chief Erik Slavin and reporter Lara Korte spoke out against potential interference from the Department in editorial decisions.

  • The Defense Department issued the pair a notice of separation shortly after.

  • The Department also dismissed publisher Max Lederer, who recently announced his retirement after disagreements over staffing..

  • The journalists’ lawsuit against Defense Department officials alleges the move is retaliatory over its comments and reporting on conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier.

  • Despite partial Pentagon funding, Stars and Stripes is legally mandated to remain editorially independent.

» CENTCOM Official Confirms Journalist Blacklist

• A U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) public affairs official threatened to add a reporter to a list of “people to disregard” for calling too often.

• Details:

  • An Intercept reporter repeatedly called CENTCOM seeking details about Iranian attacks on U.S. bases.

  • Richard Allee, an Executive Assistant at CENTCOM, eventually answered, threatening to place the reporter on “a list of people to disregard.”

  • CENTCOM’s press office emailed a denial that the “blacklist” exists.

  • The incident follows a wave of press restrictions at the Pentagon, as detailed in previous Free Flows.

» Trump Threatens $5B Lawsuit Against Think Tank

• President Trump threatened to sue the Center for American Progress (CAP), a left-leaning think tank, for $5 billion unless it retracts a report about National Guard deployments.

• Details:

  • The report denied that the deployments reduced crime, arguing instead that Trump took credit for already declining crime trends.

  • Trump’s attorneys demanded CAP remove the report by the end of the week or face a defamation suit.

  • CAP responded that “truth is not and cannot be defamation.”

  • The threat fits a pattern of retaliation by the Trump administration over unfavorable coverage.

» WaPo Ordered to Reinstate Reporter Fired Over Posts

• An independent arbitrator ordered The Washington Post to reinstate Karen Attiah, an opinion writer fired over posts about Charlie Kirk’s killing.

• The Ruling:

  • After Kirk’s assasination, Attiah wrote several Bluesky posts, including that she rejected “performative mourning for a white man who espoused violence.”

  • The Post accused her of “gross misconduct” and violating the paper’s social media policies.

  • An arbitrator found that the paper “did not have good and sufficient cause to terminate” per the collective bargaining agreement with its union.

  • According to Attiah, the arbitrator ordered the paper to reinstate her immediately with back pay.

» Judge Strikes Down Texas Drag Ban

• A federal judge in Texas found a 2023 state law restricting drag shows unconstitutional on First Amendment grounds.

• Context:

  • The law fined business owners who hosted drag events up to $10,000, while performers faced a Class A misdemeanor.

  • District Judge David Hittner ruled the law was unconstitutional in 2023, but the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals remanded the case back to him with new instructions.

  • Hittner determined the law was unconstitutional again, and that it was so vague and overly broad that it could criminalize activities like “cheerleading, dancing, live theater, and other public occurrences.”

  • Attorney General Paxton’s office did not provide an immediate comment.

» Court Voids $130,000 Verdict Against Project Veritas Partly on First Amendment Grounds

• A federal appeals court vacated $130,000 in damages against James O’Keefe and Project Veritas over a 2016 undercover sting of Democratic consultant Democracy Partners, ruling the damages improperly punished them for publishing news.

• The Ruling:

  • The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled 2–1.

  • Judge Henderson wrote that Project Veritas’ lies to enter Democracy Partners’ property was unprotected fraud, but most of the video was lawfully recorded and protected.

  • Henderson added, “The principal question in this appeal is whether the jury’s damages award violated the First Amendment by punishing the defendants for publishing a news story.”

  • The case raised questions about the extent of First Amendment protections for undercover reporting based on deceit, a tactic in decline since the 1990s.

» Judge Rules University Violated Protestors’ First Amendment Rights

• Federal judge Jacqueline Becerra temporarily blocked a policy against “expressive activities” at Florida International University (FIU).

• The Ruling:

  • FIU disciplined students who wore “ICE OFF FIU” shirts at a campus event, as mentioned in a previous Free Flow, under the policy.

  • Internal FIU emails confirmed that the students’ protest was not disruptive.

  • Becerra temporarily barred FIU from disciplining the students and halted enforcement of the policy.

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The Digital Age 🤖

» Meta Settles Child-Safety Case for $18 Billion

• Meta settled a case brought by multiple states over teen social media addiction and safety for $18 billion.

• Details:

  • The case was brought by California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey who accused Meta of designing features to addict children and downplaying harm.

  • The settlement resolves litigation in 47 states (plus DC and and three territories, Texas settled separately), excluding New Mexico and Florida. Meta may still face lawsuits from individuals and school districts.

  • The company also agreed to add stronger child-safety measures to its platforms, such as two-hour daily time limits, push notification restrictions, and “robust” age-assurance.

• What’s Next:

  • Meta conditioned 30% of the settlement to be be released to states only if YouTube and TikTok implement similar safety features and pay the same amount, split between them.

» New Zealand Introduces Bill Barring Under-16s From Social Media

• New Zealand’s Prime Minister announced a proposed law banning children under 16 from social media.

• Details:

  • Platforms would have to take “reasonable steps” to verify user ages, potentially through facial recognition and digital ID services.

  • Messaging and online gaming platforms, as well as AI apps with productivity uses, are excluded.

  • Tech firms could be fined up to 10% of global revenue for violations.

  • Two of the three parties in the PM’s coalition government oppose the law. To pass, it requires the support of opposition lawmakers, who are undecided.

Our Take: Writing about the UK’s proposed ban on social media for under-16s, Jeff Kosseff warned such proposals risk “undermining privacy, anonymous speech, and freedom of expression for everyone,” and there is little evidence to show bans are effective.

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The Brussels Effect: Europe and Beyond 🇪🇺

» Ukraine Sanctions Russian Cartoon “Masha and the Bear”

• Ukraine sanctioned creators and the distributors of“Masha and the Bear,” a Russian cartoon, for spreading “pro-Russian narratives” and threatening national security.

• Details:

  • The sanctions create legal grounds to block the show in Ukraine, and work to restrict it internationally.

  • Ukraine’s allies, including the UK, have criticized the popular show – broadcast in about 100 countries – as an instrument of Russian soft power.

Our Take: Europe has also moved to sanction Russian propaganda, and banned Russia Today TV. At The Bedrock Principle, Natalie Alkiviadou argues, “Liberal democracies are often judged not by how they protect freedom of expression in ordinary times, but by how they protect it during periods of crisis. History demonstrates that exceptional measures have a tendency to expand beyond the circumstances that first justified them.”

Free Speech Recession 🌍

» Hong Kong Convicts Tiananmen Vigil Organizers

• A Hong Kong court convicted two pro-democracy activists who organized vigils marking the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown for “incitement to subversion.”

• Details:

  • Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung face up to 10 years in jail.

  • They have been behind bars since they were charged in 2021.

  • HK activists held vigils for three decades until China banned the annual event during the pandemic and imposed a security law in 2020 to quell anti-government protests.

  • The convictions are part of a broader crackdown: an HK Court sentenced media mogul Jimmy Lai to 20 years prison under the national security law.

» China Investigates Comedian Who Altered a Revolutionary Song

• Local authorities in Wuhan are investigating Guo Degang, a comedian, for changing the lyrics of a revolutionary song during a performance.

• Details:

  • Guo is the country’s most prominent performer of xiangsheng, a form of Chinese comedic dialogue.

  • He changed a popular lyric from “it is quiet along Weishan Lake” to “it is quiet in the Forbidden City,” the former home of China’s emperors.

  • Authorities approved Guo’s performance in advance, but not the lyric change.

  • Guo’s investigation highlights China’s stricter controls of the entertainment and arts industries. Another comedian Li Haoshi has not performed in China since 2023, following a joke mocking the military that cost his employer over $2 million in fines.

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Ashley Haek is a Communications Manager at The Future of Free Speech.

Ajdin Muratovic is the Director of Communications at The Future of Free Speech and the Managing Editor of The Bedrock Principle.

Join Us! The 2026 Global Free Speech Summit returns on October 2–3 in Nashville, TN. Hosted by The Future of Free Speech and Vanderbilt University, this event brings together global leaders, thinkers, and change-makers to confront the most urgent threats to freedom of expression and explore bold, resilient solutions. Guests will have the opportunity to attend networking receptions to exchange ideas with speakers and fellow guests.

🎟️ Spots are limited. Get your tickets here.

This Week at a Glance 🔎

• 📺 ABC Sues FCC Over Early License Review

• 📲 States Take Meta to Trial

• 🇫🇷 France Blocks Under-15s Social Media Ban

• 🇷🇺 Russia Jails Opposition Leader to 11 Years

• 🇮🇷 Iran Bill Criminalizes Foreign Media Ties

First of All 🇺🇲

» ABC Sues FCC Over License Review

• 📺 ABC sued the Federal Communications Commission after it ordered eight stations to apply for early renewal of their broadcast licenses.

• Context:

  • The order followed a Jimmy Kimmel monologue joking about First Lady Melania Trump, as mentioned in a previous Free Flow.

  • ABC claims the renewals are retaliation over its content.

  • It’s asking the court to stop the FCC from further action against it.

  • The suit indicates ABC does not expect the FCC to renew the licenses.

Our Take: At the Washington Examiner, Ashkhen Kazaryan and the ACLU’s Jenna Leventoff argued the FCC’s action “sends a warning to other media that they should walk the administration’s preferred line or else.” Read our joint comment urging the FCC to drop its order here.

» Judge Faults MN Prison Book Policy

• A federal court found that Minnesota’s Department of Corrections (DOC) book policy is “not necessarily content neutral.”

• Details:

  • ⚖️ The Human Rights Defense Center, an NGO that publishes legal resources for inmates, sued on First Amendment grounds.

  • DOC let only a few approved vendors ship books to prisons, cutting off many publications.

  • It published no guidelines for accepting or rejecting vendor applications – and approved some that never applied

  • The DOC argues that the policy blocks smuggling and cuts assaults and drug incidents

  • The court ordered the DOC to streamline applications and spell out its criteria for approving publishers and nonprofits as vendors.

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The Digital Age 🤖

» Brazil Orders Discord to Suspend Livestreaming

• Brazil’s National Data Protection Authority (ANPD) ordered Discord to suspend its livestreaming features in the country.

• Context:

  • The order comes after users allegedly coerced a 13-year-old girl into suicide during a livestream.

  • Police have detained an adult and five minors.

  • ANPD said the platform’s design prevents real-time monitoring of livestreams, and that Discord failed to take reasonable steps to protect children.

  • Discord faces daily fines of up to 50 million reals (~$9 million) if it does not comply.

  • The livestream ban holds until Brazil approves a Discord safety plan. Other platform features remain accessible.

» Meta Child Safety Trial Begins

• A child-safety trial against Meta, brought by four states, kicked off in California this week.

• Details:

  • California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey argue Meta designed its platforms to be addictive to minors.

  • They say Meta knew the risks and misled the public.

  • Meta argues it has created strong protections for teens.

  • State attorneys put early penalty estimates near ~$1.4 trillion.

Our Take: In POLITICO, Ashkhen Kazaryan warned that letting courts design online communication would “balkanize” the internet, forcing companies to navigate a legal minefield or disable features globally.

The Brussels Effect: Europe and Beyond 🇪🇺

» France Blocks Under-15s Social Media Ban

• 📵France’s top court, the Constitutional Council, blocked a law barring under-15s from social media.

• Details:

  • The court found the ban failed to specify the “conditions and limits” for proving age.

  • It also found the provisions infringed on free expression and privacy.

  • President Macron remains determined that the reform takes effect and has asked the Prime Minister to rework the legislation.

» UK Green Party Emergency Order Targets Online Speech

• The Green Party submitted an emergency motion urging state regulators to “map and address” racism and ableism in the media and to monitor “harrassment” arising from coverage.

• The Proposal:

  • Every major national newspaper would have to join a state-backed press regulator with statutory powers.

  • The country’s media watchdog, Ofcom, would be authorized to order the removal of “hateful, discriminatory and conspiratorial” material on large platforms.

  • Social media companies would have to “promote and protect” a prescribed “diversity of voices.”

• The motion is a direct response to the death of Jason Arday, a former sociology professor at the University of Cambridge.

» University Suspends Academic Who Alleged Arday Plagiarism

• Belgium’s Ghent University suspended Nathan Cofnas, the U.S. academic who raised plagiarism concerns about the late Cambridge University professor Jason Arday.

• Details:

  • Cofnas said on X that he had been suspended and expected to be fired. In an earlier post, he said he was “under investigation by my university for discriminating against Arday.”

  • Ghent confirmed it suspended a staff member as a precaution during an investigation.

  • The University stated, “We attach great importance to academic freedom and to open academic debate, even when views are controversial. However, that freedom is not unlimited.”

• Background:

  • Cofnas wrote on his Substack on July 21 that a source at Cambridge contacted him about the plagiarism claims.

  • The plagiarism allegations triggered intense scrutiny of Arday’s career and personal life — a toll he described before his death as falling on his family too.

  • Cofnas has faced controversy at Cambridge himself. Emmanuel College previously cut ties with him after students raised concerns about his blog posts on race and meritocracy. He denies being racist and is in a legal dispute with the college.

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Free Speech Recession 🌍

» Iran Bill Criminalizes Foreign Media Ties

• Iran’s Parliament has approved a bill that criminalizes interaction with “hostile” foreign media and institutions.

• Prohibitions on Media:

  • Communications with American or Israeli organizations, or any group they fund.

  • Sending videos, photos, audio, or other data to foreign outlets or media workers abroad.

  • Producing or directing “anti-Islamic culture” films, documentaries, theater, music, or books.

  • Violators face six months to two years in prison.

• Prohibitions on Research:

  • Unauthorized academic collaboration with foreign universities or institutions.

  • Organizers of courses or workshops “incompatible with Iranian culture” can face 5-10 years in prison, while attendees can face two.

• The Guardian Council, a body of clerics and legal experts that vets all laws, must approve the bill for it to become law.

» Russian Opposition Leader Sentenced to 11 Years

• 🇷🇺 A Russian court sentenced Lev Shlosberg, a senior member of opposition party Yabloko, to 11 years and one month in prison over his remarks against the Ukraine war.

• Details:

  • The court convicted Shlosberg of “discrediting” and spreading “false information” about the Russian military.

  • Yabloko announced in a public statement that Shlosberg plans to appeal.

• Context:

  • The sentence comes after Russia’s Supreme Court annulled the Yabloko party’s registration, as mentioned in last week’s Free Flow.

  • A Russian court previously convicted Shlosberg of violating foreign agent regulations.

  • The charges came after he called for an end to the war during a debate and criticized President Vladimir Putin on his public channel on Telegram, a social media platform popular in Russia.

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Ashley Haek is a communications coordinator and research assistant at The Future of Free Speech.

Ajdin Muratovic is the communications director at The Future of Free Speech.

Join Us! The 2026 Global Free Speech Summit returns on October 2–3 in Nashville, TN. Hosted by The Future of Free Speech and Vanderbilt University, this event brings together global leaders, thinkers, and change-makers to confront the most urgent threats to freedom of expression and explore bold, resilient solutions. Guests will have the opportunity to attend networking receptions where they can exchange ideas with speakers and other guests.

🎟️ Spots are limited. Get your tickets here.

This Week at a Glance 🔎

• 🧑‍⚖️ Florida Prosecutor Sues DOJ over Alleged Free Speech Violations

• ❌ Judge Rejects Attempted Block on California Social Media Law

• 🇺🇲 Texas Court Orders Locking of Foreign Site's Domain Worldwide

• 🇷🇺 Russia Bars Its only Anti-War Party from Elections

• 🇧🇷 Brazilian Influencer Sentenced over Pronoun Use

First of All 🇺🇸

» Florida Prosecutor Sues DOJ over Alleged Free Speech Violations

• 🧑‍⚖️ Will Rosenzweig, a former federal prosecutor, filed a lawsuit against the Department of Justice over years-old blog posts.

• Details:

  • Rosenzweig criticized President Trump in blog posts while working at a private law firm. Trump supporters called for his firing over the posts.

  • Then-U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi fired Rosenzweig via email without giving a reason.

  • The lawsuit raises free speech concerns, saying, “The Department’s conduct rests on a single premise: a citizen must forever refrain from criticizing the government and its leaders to remain eligible to serve it.”

» Judge Rejects Block on California Social Media Law

• ❌ A federal judge rejected an attempt by Meta, Google and TikTok to block parts of California’s Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction Act.

• Details:

  • The tech giants wanted to block sections of the act that ban personalized feeds for minors based on their past activity.

  • The companies argued that constraints on suggested content violate protected First Amendment expression.

Our Take: Read our report for a legal analysis of why algorithmic curation is a form of editorial discretion protected by the First Amendment and essential to the functioning of the digital ecosystem.

» Students Sue CU Boulder over Free Speech Policies

• 🪧 Five students filed the lawsuit against the University of Colorado, Boulder, claiming that it unlawfully restricts student speech and protest.

• Details:

  • The students seek an injunction to block enforcement of policies in CU Boulder’s Campus Use of University Facilities Procedures, which they argue violate Colorado’s Students’ Right to Speak Act.

  • The lawsuit was filed after the university sent police to two civil discourse events at the law school.

  • According to the suit, about a dozen students, including student journalists, faced interim exclusion or interim suspension notices after the event.

  • The lawsuit also says that the university has punished certain students for “peaceful First Amendment expression that the University believed to have violated the Restrictive Speech Policies.”

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The Digital Age 🤖

» Texas Orders Foreign Site’s Domain Locked Worldwide

• 🌐 A Travis County judge ordered Verisign, the company that operates the .com registry, to lock the domain of foreign-run adult site over its operator's failure to comply with Texas's age-verification law — pulling the site offline for users everywhere.

• Details:

  • A judge has frozen Motherless.com until it posts a $9.14 million bond and builds a state-approved age verification digital ID system.

  • Attorney General Ken Paxton brought the case under the age-verification statute the Supreme Court upheld last year in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton.

  • The order allows future domain seizures without a judge weighing each one individually.

  • Paxton said the order demonstrates that “Texas has the legal authority” to “reach beyond its border.”

The Brussels Effect: Europe and Beyond 🇪🇺

» Ofcom Investigates GB News Pride Comments

• 🇬🇧 UK regulator Ofcom is investigating GB News after a guest linked London's Pride parade to pedophilia and bestiality, drawing more than 12,000 complaints.

• Details:

  • Commentator Caroline Farrow claimed Pride had “become about celebrating every single sexuality that isn’t heterosexuality,” including “bestiality” and “pedophiles.”

  • Ofcom rules require that offensive material be justified by context.

  • Host Alex Armstrong pushed back on air, later calling the remarks “an age-old gay trope” used to “demonize and slander gay people.”

  • Last year, Ofcom found similar comments by GB News presenter Josh Howie breached the broadcasting code but took no action.

Our Take: We oppose punishing broadcasters for airing content governments do not support. Furthermore, we believe that government meddling in debates based on subjective terms is incompatible with free speech. It is why we urged the FCC to reject efforts to label LGBTQ content with a parental warning.

Free Speech Recession 🌍

» House Republicans Voice Concern over South Korea’s “Fake News” Law

• 🇰🇷 Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee sent a letter to the Korea Media and Communications Commission over concerns of government censorship of free speech.

• Details:

  • The concerns center on adopted in July amendments to the Information and Communications Network Act. Under the amendments, the government can fine media outlets and large content publishers for intentionally spreading false information.

  • The members of the Judiciary Committee argue that the law can be used to target “politically disfavored opinions.”

  • South Korean journalists and civil liberties groups have also criticized the law.

» Human Rights Groups File Lawsuit over ICC Sanctions

• ⚖️ Four human rights groups argue that the Trump administration has used sanctions against the ICC to interfere with prosecutions of crimes against humanity and war crimes.

• Details:

  • The lawsuit challenges an executive order Trump signed in 2025, which authorized sanctions on individuals affiliated with the ICC who support its investigation of alleged Israeli crimes in Palestine.

  • The suit argues that Trump’s actions against the ICC violate constitutionally protected free speech and US obligations under international law.

  • Sanctioned individuals face restrictions like travel bans, frozen bank accounts, and denied access to certain digital services.

» Kuwait Arrests Commentator, Revokes Journalists’ Citizenship

• 🇰🇼 Authorities arrested political commentator Mohammed Saleh al-Sabti and stripped two exiled journalists of their citizenship, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

• Details:

  • Al-Sabti was arrested after an interview in which he called for deescalation.

  • CPJ could not verify the charges against al-Sabti or the conditions of his detention, and the Kuwaiti Embassy in Washington did not respond to its request for comment.

  • A July decree revoked the citizenship of six people, including exiled blogger Mansoor al-Muhareb and exiled freelance journalist Abdullah al-Saleh.

  • Since the Iran war began in late February, CPJ has documented a spike in crackdowns on journalists and media outlets across the Gulf.

» Russia Bars Its Only Anti-War Party from Elections

• 🇷🇺 Russia's Supreme Court annulled the registration of the Yabloko party, removing the only registered party opposing the war in Ukraine from the September 18–20 parliamentary ballot.

• Details:

  • The August 10 ruling came in a lawsuit brought by the pro-Kremlin Motherland Party, which accused Yabloko of taking an anti-war stance tantamount to violating Russia’s territorial integrity.

  • The party campaigned on the slogans “For a ceasefire agreement, diplomacy and peace!” and “Our goal is to prevent nuclear war!”

  • Founded in the 1990s, Yabloko was once a leading liberal voice in parliament before losing its State Duma seats as the Kremlin tightened political control.

» Brazilian Influencer Sentenced over Pronoun Use

• 🇧🇷 Bianca Barreto was sentenced to two years of conditional liberty and a fine of about $3,900 for referring to transgender federal lawmaker Duda Salabert with male pronouns.

• Details:

  • Judge Eduarda de Lima Vidal ruled that intentionally using a transgender woman’s birth pronouns to publicly humiliate is not protected free speech.

  • Barreto’s legal team plans to appeal, arguing that her comments are protected free speech and that she never supported violence, persecution, or hatred.

  • In 2019, Brazil’s Supreme Court expanded its hate speech ban to cover LGBTQ+ individuals under a “social racism” framework.

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Isabella Dail is a communications intern at The Future of Free Speech and a recent graduate from Princeton University with a bachelor’s in philosophy.

Editors’ Note: Next week, the Free Flow will be on a hiatus. We will resume publishing the following Thursday, August 13.

Join Us! The 2026 Global Free Speech Summit returns on October 2–3 in Nashville, TN. Hosted by The Future of Free Speech and Vanderbilt University, this event will bring together global leaders, thinkers, and change-makers to confront the most urgent threats to freedom of expression and explore bold, resilient solutions. Guests will have the opportunity to attend networking receptions where they can exchange ideas with speakers and other guests.

🎟️ Spots are limited. Get your tickets here.

This Week at a Glance 🔎

• 🇪🇺 CJEU Ruling Threatens Liability Exemptions for Online Platforms

• 🇮🇳 India Orders GitHub to Restrict Content

• 🇺🇲 Judge Blocks SD Law Against Abortion Advertising

• 🇷🇺 Russia Labels Libertarian Party Foreign Agents

• 🇦🇺 Australian Protesters Challenge Ban on Pro-Palestine Slogans

First of All 🇺🇸

» Judge Blocks SD Anti-Abortion Advertising Law

• A federal judge temporarily blocked the enforcement of a South Dakota law against abortion advertising.

• Details:

  • The state prohibits the advertisement of any “article or thing designed, adapted, or intended for producing an abortion.”

  • Mayday Health, which runs an informational website about where people can access abortion pills, sued over the law.

  • U.S. District Judge Camela Theeler said the law is a content-based restriction and will have to meet a high bar to be constitutional.

» LA City Council Ban Sparks Speech Concerns

• Civil liberties groups submitted a joint letter to the Los Angeles City Council over its July 2025 ban on using the N-word and C-word during their meetings.

• Details:

  • The council said the words were “fighting words” and unprotected speech.

  • The groups intend to file a lawsuit if the ban is not repealed within 30 days.

  • The letter also argues against a policy barring individuals removed from meetings from attending future ones for a limited time period.

» NC National Guard Settles Free Speech Case

• The North Carolina National Guard settled a case brought by veteran Timothy Stanhope, who alleged it had violated his First Amendment rights.

• Details:

  • Stanhope made several posts on the Guard’s Facebook page criticizing leadership.

  • The Guard revoked his access to the page, removed his posts, and pressured him to retire.

  • The Guard settled the case and restored Stanhope’s access and posts on Facebook.

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The Digital Age 🤖

» India Orders Restrictions on GitHub

• 🇮🇳 India’s Ministry of Home Affairs directed GitHub to restrict content on the grounds that its open-source software could facilitate unlawful activity.

• Details:

  • GitHub operates Bitchat repositories that allow users to communicate amid internet shutdowns and avoid centralized networks’ restrictions.

  • The notice resembled the format of recent government takedown notices, but did not identify specific posts or messages with unlawful material.

  • Instead, it orders GitHub to restrict access to three Bitchat repositories within three hours because its software makes it possible to “circumvent lawful restrictions.”

  • The order comes as authorities crack down on student-led protests over alleged examination paper leaks, as mentioned in last week’s Free Flow.

The Brussels Effect: Europe and Beyond 🇪🇺

» CJEU Ruling Threatens Online Platforms’ Liability Exemptions

• A recent judgment by the European Court of Justice threatens to remove liability exemptions for user-generated content for platforms with certain algorithms.

• Details:

  • The Court evaluated restrictions on Coyote System, a navigation service that notifies drivers about roadside checks.

  • It formulated a general test for when an intermediary is no longer considered a “neutral” host and exempt from liability over user-generated content.

  • It held that when an algorithm determines “under what conditions, how and in which order of priority” information is disseminated, the intermediary loses its liability exemption.

  • The Electronic Frontier Foundation argues the Court’s reasoning could apply to social media platforms’ recommendation algorithms, exposing them to liability and incentivizing them to remove too much content.

» EU Finds TikTok Violated Digital Services Act

• The European Commission found TikTok did not adequately protect children’s privacy rights on its platform by allowing adults to view minors’ accounts.

• Details:

  • Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said allowing children aged 13-15 to “easily” change their accounts from private to public is unacceptable.

  • Regnier argued the action exposed children to cyberbullying, grooming, and predators.

  • TikTok could face fines of up to 6% of its total annual revenue.

» EU AI-Label Mandate to Take Effect

• The EU will begin enforcing artificial intelligence transparency rules on August 2, requiring companies to label AI-generated content.

• Details: Companies must ensure their AI systems inform users when they are using AI, such as a chatbot, or when an image or text was created using AI.

» Italian Journalist Held Liable for Users’ Comments

• 🇮🇹 Italy’s Court of Cassation held journalist Fabio Butera liable for third-party users’ comments on his Facebook page.

• Context:

  • In a 2018 Facebook post, Butera criticized a news report by journalist Valentino Gonzato.

  • Gonzato filed a civil defamation lawsuit against Butera.

  • Lower courts found Butera’s post was not defamatory, but users’ comments on the post were, and ordered Butera to pay damages for failing to remove them.

  • Italy’s Court of Cassation, its highest appellate court, upheld the lower court’s reasoning.

Free Speech Recession 🌍

» Russia Labels Libertarian Party ‘Foreign Agent’

• 🇷🇺 The Russian Ministry of Justice added the Libertarian Party of Russia (LPR) and 24 of its members to its list of foreign agents, barring it from participating in elections.

• Context:

  • Russia’s 2012 foreign agents law allows NGOs to be labeled foreign agents if they receive foreign funding and engage in political activity.

  • In 2022, it was broadened to include media organizations and individuals “under foreign influence.”

  • The registry lists LPR as having disseminated material of other “foreign agents” and “unreliable information” about Russian policies and the electoral system.

  • Designated foreign agents are subject to labeling and reporting rules and can face administrative or criminal liability, including fines, searches, and imprisonment.

» Australian Protesters Challenge Ban on Pro-Palestine Slogans

• 🇦🇺 A group of 7 pro-Palestinian activists filed a lawsuit against a Queensland law banning the slogans “from the river to the sea” and “globalise the intifada.”

• Details: The suit follows the arrest of more than 20 people protesting the ban when it was passed in March, as mentioned in a previous Free Flow.

» Egypt Detains Dozens Over Online Activism

• 🇪🇬 Since late May, Egyptian authorities have arrested at least 50 people part of a Gen Z online group criticizing the government and calling for change.

• Details:

  • The group, known as “Gen Z002,” was formed in October 2025 on Discord and hosts online discussions and live voice chats on political developments.

  • Those arrested are under investigation for terrorism-related and false news charges.

  • Some allege being forcibly disappeared for periods ranging from 6 to 40 days and being tortured.

» U.S. Embassy Concerned Over Georgia’s Hate Speech Department

• 🇬🇪 The U.S. Embassy in Georgia said it is concerned about the state’s new Hate Speech Department.

• Context:

  • The statement was a response to questions around the detention of journalist Vakho Sanaia, which was included in last week’s Free Flow.

  • The Department was created in June to detect statements that “violate/insult human dignity and contain hate speech.”

» Russian Editors Fined For Reporting on Former Official

• 🧑‍⚖️ A magistrate in Moscow’s Tagansky district fined two Russian editors for reporting on remarks made by Andrey Tsyganov, a former member of Roskomnadzor, the country’s communications regulator.

• Details:

  • Tsyganov called for the promotion of domestic heroes and said children were being raised on Western characters, including anime, toy cars, and Spider-Men.

  • The Daily Storm, a Telegram channel, reported on his remarks on February 24.

  • On March 2, the first deputy prosecutor general demanded that the post be restricted as material “aimed at destabilizing socio-political situations.”

  • RusNews reported on the remarks in March, adding that Tsyganov proposed substituting Western characters with war veterans.

  • A magistrate fined the heads of the two outlets 30,000 rubles ($385), arguing the editors failed to send an official inquiry to Roskomnadzor to verify the information.

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Ashley Haek is a communications coordinator and research assistant at The Future of Free Speech.

Audrey Campbell is a communications intern at The Future of Free Speech and an international relations major at American University.

Isabella Dail is a communications intern at The Future of Free Speech and a recent graduate from Princeton University with a bachelor’s in philosophy.

Join Us! The 2026 Global Free Speech Summit returns on October 2–3 in Nashville, TN. Hosted by The Future of Free Speech and Vanderbilt University, this event brings together global leaders, thinkers, and changemakers to confront the most urgent threats to freedom of expression and explore bold, resilient solutions. Guests will have the opportunity to attend networking receptions to exchange ideas with speakers and fellow guests.

🎟️ Spots are limited. Get your tickets here.

This Week at a Glance 🔎

— 🇺🇲 New Rules Target Foreign Journalists’ Visas

— 🇦🇺 X Appeals Block on Footage of Aftermath of Bondi Beach Attack

— 🇬🇧 UK Report Labels Political Claims ‘Misinformation’

— 🇹🇳 Tunisian Journalist Jailed Over Social Media Posts

— 🇯🇵 Japan Bans Desecration of National Flag

First of All 🇺🇲

» New Rules Target Foreign Journalists’ Visas

• The Trump administration announced new visa rules that will cut the duration of foreign journalists’ visas from five years to 240 days.

• Details:

  • 🇨🇳 Visas for Chinese journalists will be shortened to 90 days.

  • The new rules will also introduce “clear, finite limits” on visas for exchange visitors and foreign students.

Our Take: In a statement, Jacob Mchangama argued, “Press freedom is enshrined in the Constitution, yet these policies treat journalists with suspicion, leaving foreign correspondents to weigh honest reporting against the risk of losing their ability to work in the country.”

» D.C. Circuit Upholds Pentagon Journalist Escort Policy

• In a case brought by The New York Times, the D.C. Circuit Court ruled that the Pentagon can continue enforcing its journalist escort policy in a split 2-1 decision.

• Details:

  • The decision pauses a district judge’s preliminary ruling suspending the policy, as mentioned in a previous Free Flow.

  • The majority found the policy did not constitute unlawful retaliation because The Times did not argue that the policy unfairly targeted it.

  • ✍️ Judge Bradley Garcia dissented, saying a “retaliatory government policy should not be immunized simply because it is broadly and evenly applied.”

  • The Times plans to continue litigation on the merits.

» DOJ Seeks Phone Records of Journalists and Their Families

• The Department of Justice is reportedly seeking the phone records of three journalists who covered security concerns over the Qatar-gifted Air Force One jet.

• Details:

  • The news comes after the department issued subpoenas to the reporters, summoning them to testify before a grand jury.

  • The New York Times reports the DOJ is seeking records from third-party communications companies, including those of two of the reporters’ spouses.

  • The DOJ insists that “reporters are not the targets, those leaking classified information are.”

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The Digital Age 🤖

» X Appeals Bondi Shooting Video Ban

• X has appealed a decision by the Classification Review Board that a video showing fallen and dying victims in the aftermath of the December 14 shooting on Australia’s Bondi Beach could not be shown in the country.

• Context: The Classification Review Board is a statutory body that guides Australia’s national classification of various content.

• Regulators’ Perspective:

  • Regulators claim that the video is too violent and that platforms are attempting to monetize harmful content.

  • Richard Lancaster, lead lawyer for Australia’s antisemitism royal commission, questioned: “whether X Corp has or ought to have a social license to operate in Australia.”

• X’s Perspective:

  • 🇦🇺 X said the decision violates Australia’s free speech protections and argued the film provides evidence “against anyone seeking to deny” or minimize the event.

  • It also noted that graphic depictions of historical events — the Holocaust, the Vietnam War, Australian special forces’ war crimes in Afghanistan — are permitted in Australian media.

» Meta Report Warns of Cross-Border AI Restrictions

• A Meta Oversight Board study found that AI systems are more likely to refuse to criticize restrictive governments or leaders.

• Details:

  • 💻 The study asked 10 large language models to give reasons to join a protest, write a critical pamphlet, or write a limerick.

  • The report said models responding to an Australia-based user were less likely to generate political criticism of leaders from places where such criticism is penalized.

  • A separate report from American universities found that models gave different responses to questions when asked in different languages.

  • Together, the reports indicate that speech restrictions and biases could be extending beyond the borders where they apply,

Our Research: For more, view our report that examines safeguards for freedom of expression in AI policies from six global jurisdictions, and measures openness of the world’s leading AI models.

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The Brussels Effect: Europe and Beyond 🇪🇺

» France Bans Social Media For Under-15s

• France’s Parliament passed a bill banning social media for children under 15.

• What’s Next:

  • In September, age verification will be required on all new accounts, and under-15s will be prohibited from opening accounts.

  • Beginning January 2027, users will undergo age verification for all existing accounts.

  • Social media platforms must use age-verification tools approved by the country’s privacy regulator.

» Digital Rights Groups Warn Over DSA Draft Rules

• 🚩 The Electronic Frontier Foundation and ARTICLE 19 have submitted joint comments to the European Commission on draft guidelines for the Digital Services Act’s trusted flagger mechanism.

• Details:

  • New guidelines could allow governments to suppress speech without securing a court order or providing a legal basis, according to the orgs.

  • The “trusted-flagger” mechanism requires platforms to prioritize illegal content flagged by designated organizations.

  • Under Article 9 of the DSA, national authorities can issue legally binding removal orders to platforms–but only with a legal basis, a legitimate aim, and evidence of necessity.

  • The draft guidelines would let police and prosecutors bypass those safeguards by designating them as trusted flaggers.

  • The organizations argue that combining those powers “creates a risk that platforms may treat trusted flagger notices as de facto removal orders.”

» UK Report Labels Political Claims as ‘Misinformation’

• 🇬🇧 A study commissioned by the UK government classified ideas, including “anti-LGBTQ+ narratives” and “electoral fraud claims,” as “misinformation.”

• The Report:

  • The study, conducted by a group of seven academics, urges the government to use psychology to prevent spreading narratives deemed potentially “misleading.”

  • Public communications and schools are encouraged to implement these methods to prevent the spread of “false” ideas.

  • The government said the report did not represent official policy.

• Categories of ‘Misinformation’:

  • Anti-LGBTQ+ narratives, gender ideology claims targeting institutions, Pride event misrepresentation, and transgender athlete controversies.

  • 🇪🇺 Electoral fraud claims and the “institutional delegitimization” of the EU.

  • False claims about migrant entitlements, arrival demographics, and criminal acts.

  • Content “associating minority communities with crime or cultural threat.”

» Georgian Journalist Jailed for Facebook Post

• Vakho Sanaia, a journalist and TV host, was sentenced to 14 days of administrative detention over Facebook posts flagged by Georgia’s Hate Speech Department.

• Details:

  • Sanaia was initially fined for posting about a lawmaker: “I hope no one called [Vladimer Bozhadze] d**k, because the law prohibits calling Lado d**k. I would also like to urge everyone not to call Lado a d**k.”

  • A subsequent post resulted in administrative detention: “I wrote a post saying, ‘Don’t call Papuashvili and Bozhadze d**k,’ and I was fined 6,000 lari. Am I missing something? Give them a call.”

  • Georgia’s recently formed Hate Speech Department can initiate administrative cases over public speech.

Our Take: This comes after the European Court of Human Rights upheld a fine against a Georgian man who criticized local public transportation. At Persuasion, Jacob Mchangama wrote, “The implication is stark: online speech, precisely because it travels further and faster, warrants more restriction, not less. That gets the logic of democratic accountability exactly backward. “

Free Speech Recession 🌍

» Japan Bans Desecration of National Flag

• 🇯🇵 Japan enacted a law prohibiting the desecration of its national flag in ways that “cause extreme discomfort or sense of disgust to others.”

• Details:

  • Violators could face up to two years in prison or fines of up to 200,000 yen ($1,230 USD).

  • Legal experts warn the law’s vague wording criminalizes speech based on hurt feelings and could be turned against government critics.

  • Critics also note that flag desecration laws in the U.S., Europe, and elsewhere come with clearer criteria and stronger free speech protections.

» Tunisian Journalist Sentenced to Prison Over Social Media Posts

• 🇹🇳Tunisian journalist Haythem El Mekki was sentenced to one year in prison over posts on social media criticizing conditions at a public hospital morgue.

• Details:

  • The Habib Bourguiba University Hospital filed a public lawsuit against Mekki in 2023 for saying its morgue exceeded its capacity.

  • A lower court dismissed the case, but an appeals court convicted him of “insulting others through public telecommunications networks.”

  • Mekki has been prosecuted three times since 2023 for remarks made online or in the media.

» Crackdown on New Delhi Education Protests Escalates

• Social media videos and accounts allege police in New Delhi threw stones, fired tear gas, and beat peaceful protesters.

• Details:

  • On July 20, protesters marched to the Parliament of India to demand the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, the Union Education Minister.

  • Demonstrators demanded accountability after alleged leaks of medical school entrance exam questions forced officials to cancel all results.

  • Protesters also seek compensation for families whose students committed suicide following the distress.

  • Amnesty International reports that police also installed barricades and suspended metro services and mobile internet to curb the protests.

» Cambodia Imprisons Journalist Over Water Shortage Report

• Cambodia sentenced journalist Luot Sophal to two years’ imprisonment for reporting that frontline soldiers lacked water.

• Details:

  • He was convicted on charges of demoralizing the armed forces and incitement to commit a felony.

  • Sophal was arrested after posting a video on his personal Facebook page in February discussing the shortage.

  • Authorities ordered him to delete the post and apologize while in custody.

  • Cambodia has punished critical coverage of its conflict with Thailand with sentences as harsh as 14 years for treason.

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Ashley Haek is a communications coordinator and research assistant at The Future of Free Speech.

Audrey Campbell is a communications intern at The Future of Free Speech and an international relations major at American University.

Isabella Dail is a communications intern at The Future of Free Speech and a recent graduate from Princeton University with a bachelor’s in philosophy.

Join Us! The 2026 Global Free Speech Summit returns on October 2–3 in Nashville, TN. Hosted by The Future of Free Speech and Vanderbilt University, this event brings together global leaders, thinkers, and change-makers to confront the most urgent threats to freedom of expression and explore bold, resilient solutions. Guests will have the opportunity to attend networking receptions to exchange ideas with speakers and fellow guests.

🎟️ Spots are limited. Get your tickets here.

This Week at a Glance 🔎

— 🇯🇵 Japan Mandates AI Labels for Social Media Content

— 🇪🇺 EU Pledges to Ban Social Media for Children

— 🇺🇸 Massachusetts Senate Passes Youth Social Media Bill

— 🤖 EU Preliminary Report Finds Meta Violated DSA

— 🇺🇦 Ukraine Court Bans Investigative Report Ahead of Publication

First of All 🇺🇸

» Faculty Sue Texas Tech Over Requiring Approval to Teach Race and Gender

• Faculty unions have sued Texas Tech University System leaders over two memos from Chancellor Brandon Creighton that dictate curriculum disclosures and restrictions.

• Details:

  • 📑 The first memo requires professors to disclose whether course materials address race, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

  • 🛑 The second memo requires professors to stop teaching these subjects until they receive approval from the Board of Regents.

  • The new rules apply to five institutions within the Texas Tech System.

  • The American Association of University Professors and the Texas AAUP-AFT sued the chancellor and members of the Board of Regents.

  • The lawsuit claims the policies are unconstitutional, citing subject matter that will be removed from curricula under the new rules.

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The Digital Age 🤖

» Japan Mandates AI-Labels for Social Media Content

• 🇯🇵 Japan has enacted new legislation that will require certain AI-generated or altered images and videos on social media to be clearly labeled.

• Details:

  • The legislation will take effect on March 1, 2027.

  • It applies to AI-generated or modified content that could reasonably be mistaken for being authentic, with exemptions for illustrations and animated material.

  • Platforms must take measures to curb the harmful effects of misinformation on elections.

  • 📃 The internal affairs and communications minister will set guidelines for the expected measures, and companies will publish annual reports detailing their efforts.

  • The law does not include criminal penalties.

» Massachusetts Senate Passes Youth Social Media Bill

• 📲 The Massachusetts Senate has passed a bill that would disable certain social media features for minors.

• The Bill:

  • The bill amends House Bill 5366, which sought to ban under-14s from social media platforms and require parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds.

  • Under the new bill, social media platforms would have to set default settings for minors to limit “addictive” features and increase safety.

  • ⚙️ Defaults include: disabling algorithmic feeds, autoplay, and infinite scroll, notifications from midnight to 6 a.m., and sharing precise geolocation data.

  • ⚙️ It also requires platforms to notify users after one hour of daily use, with follow-up alerts every 30 minutes.

  • 🚸 Minors cannot change these settings, but adults can. Minors can change settings that limit posts and direct messaging to their social media “friends.”

  • Age assurance methods must allow users to remain anonymous or not rely solely on a government-issued ID.

  • The amendment to change age-verification requirements from opt-out to opt-in failed.

  • The House must pass the amended bill for it to head to the Governor.

The Brussels Effect: Europe and Beyond 🇪🇺

» EU to Implement Social Media Ban for Children

• 📵 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has promised a draft law this fall that would ban social media for EU children.

• Details:

  • Her pledge followed an expert panel’s call to restrict social media and other platforms that have similar features, such as video games and AI chatbots, for under-13s.

  • Von der Leyen declined to specify a minimum age for the draft bill.

» EU Preliminary Report Says Meta Breaches Digital Services Act

• 🇪🇺 An EU preliminary report found that Instagram and Facebook’s “addictive design” has violated the Digital Services Act.

• Details:

  • The EU Commission said Meta failed to weigh the risks of design features that harm users’ physical well-being.

  • 📲 The features include infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and personalized recommendation systems.

  • The Commission also accused Meta of ignoring data on how much time young people spend on its platforms at night and how different types of content lead to excessive use.

  • Since the investigation began, Meta introduced Teen Accounts that allow parents to block access to platforms at night and cap daily screen time at 15 minutes.

  • If the Commission’s findings are confirmed, Meta faces a fine of up to 6% of its total annual turnover.

» EU Commission Responds to Claims that Meta is Censoring Activists

• 🇪🇺 The European Commission has responded that it is “aware of the issue” and “in touch with relevant stakeholders” after an MEP asked what it will do about allegations that Meta censors progressive advocates.

• Details:

  • MEP Alexandra Geese filed a parliamentary question asking whether the Commission will launch formal proceedings to assess Meta’s compliance with the Digital Services Act (DSA).

  • 🏳️‍🌈 Geese’s question stems from allegations that Meta is “censoring women, progressives, and LGBTQ accounts.”

  • Geese accused the platform of failing to meet DSA obligations to provide clear and specific reasons, effective and accessible internal complaint procedures, and risk assessments.

  • The Commission’s response noted that very large online platforms must assess systemic risks, including hindering freedom of expression and information.

  • It added that it cannot share details of its investigation, but that proceedings were opened in 2024 against Meta on suspicion that its platform’s recommendation systems penalized political content.

» Germany Advances Bill Criminalizing ‘Denying Israel’s Right to Exist’

• 🇩🇪 Germany’s upper house of parliament has advanced a bill that would criminalize publicly denying Israel’s right to exist or calling for its destruction.

• Details:

  • To trigger penalties, statements must encourage “a willingness to commit acts of antisemitic violence or arbitrary acts.”

  • Violators face up to five years in prison or a fine.

  • 🏛️ The bill now heads to the lower house of the national parliament.

» Swedish MEP Files Police Complaint Against Fellow MEP Over Hate Speech

• 🇸🇪 A Swedish MEP has filed a police complaint against a Danish MEP, accusing him of racist hate speech after she was targeted on social media.

• Context:

  • 💬 Danish MEP Kristoffer Storm responded online to a clip of Al-Sahlani addressing parliament, saying she “should go home.”

  • Al-Sahlani filed a police complaint against Storm for using racist and hateful speech against her.

  • 💬 Her complaint did not include a Finnish MEP, who responded to the clips with “cry more,” because police were unsure of how to handle the post.

  • The Finnish MEP said he planned to file a complaint over accusations that he threatened or made racist comments.

  • The Parliament’s services said they are looking into the incident, and Parliament President Roberta Metsola said her office would “take appropriate action” to prevent a repeat.

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Free Speech Recession 🌍

» Ukraine Court Bans Investigative Report Ahead of Publication

• 🇺🇦 A Kyiv court issued a temporary injunction blocking the publication of a joint investigation by an independent Ukrainian outlet and NGO.

• Details:

  • The report, by Slidstvo.Info and the Anti-Corruption Action Center (CPK), concerned the business dealings of the brother of the head of the country’s State Investigation Bureau (DBR).

  • CPK sent questions to the siblings, after which Parkovyi-2 LLC, a company linked to the brother who was the subject of the report, requested an injunction.

  • 🏛️ The court found that publication could cause irreparable harm and disclose trade secrets.

  • ⚖️ It did not weigh the public interest of the reporting, as national law requires.

  • Slidstvo.Info maintains that the report was based on publicly available documents.

» Israel Wants to Enforce ‘Institutional Neutrality’ on Universities

• 🇮🇱 Israeli proposals seek to impose “institutional neutrality” on the country’s universities by barring them from taking political stances, organizing strikes, or halting teaching as a protest.

• Details:

  • 🎓 University presidents would also be barred from voicing views that might be perceived as political or could prompt them to do so.

  • Lecturers and students are exempt from the rules if their political activity is private, “not specific to the institution or done by virtue of their academic or administrative role, and does not harm the institution’s regular activity.”

» Report Reveals 1,500+ Rulings Under Russia’s Law Against ‘Discrediting’ the Army

• 🇷🇺 A report from the Regional Centre for Human Rights shows Russian occupation courts have issued at least 1,529 rulings under a 2022 law against “discrediting” the Armed Forces.

• Details:

  • 🔎 Law enforcement agencies monitoring social media comments, likes, and posts–some from years earlier—opened 80% of the cases.

  • The report also detailed procedural violations, noting that proceedings in some cases lasted less than a minute.

  • 🇺🇦 One woman faced administrative charges for selling yellow and blue pillowcases at a market, the colors of the Ukrainian flag.

» Russian SpongeBob Viewers Suspect Rainbow Removed Under LGBTQ+ Propaganda Law

• 🇷🇺 Russian viewers suspect that the removal of a rainbow in an episode of the animated series, SpongeBob SquarePants, is due to the country’s ban on LGBTQ+ propaganda.

• Details:

  • 🌈 In the original episode, a rainbow appears over SpongeBob’s head as he discusses the fun of using one’s imagination–a scene that has become a viral meme.

  • Now, the episode shows only a blurred yellow arc.

  • Viewers suspect the change was made to comply with Russia’s ban on “any action or the spreading of any information that is considered an attempt to promote homosexuality.”

» Turkish Comedian Sentenced Over Ottoman Joke

• 🇹🇷 An Istanbul court issued a suspended five-month sentence to comedian Tuba Ulu after her sexually explicit joke about Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent circulated online.

• Details:

  • Ulu was charged under Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code, which criminalizes public denigration of a group based on race, class, gender, religion, sect, or region.

  • The law calls for six months to a year in prison, but prosecutors sought three years for “insulting historical, national, and moral values.”

  • Ulu will not go to prison unless she commits another offense within the supervision period.

Share

Ashley Haek is a communications coordinator and research assistant at The Future of Free Speech.

Audrey Campbell is a communications intern at The Future of Free Speech and an international relations major at American University.

Join Us! The 2026 Global Free Speech Summit returns on October 2–3 in Nashville, TN. Hosted by The Future of Free Speech and Vanderbilt University, this event will bring together global leaders, thinkers, and change-makers to confront the most urgent threats to freedom of expression and explore bold, resilient solutions. Guests will have the opportunity to attend networking receptions where they can exchange ideas with speakers and other guests.

Spots are limited. Get your tickets here.

This Week at a Glance 🔎

— 🇺🇲 Federal Judge Suspends Pentagon’s Journalist-Escort Policy

— 🇰🇷 South Korean Disinformation Amendment Sparks Censorship Concerns

— 🇪🇺 ECJ Says Individuals Can Be Criminally Liable for Sharing RT Content

— 🇫🇷 French Prosecutors Launch Hate Speech Probe Against Paraguayan Senator

— 🇹🇿 Tanzanian Authorities Arrest Dozens Ahead of Planned Protests

First of All 🇺🇸

» Federal Judge Suspends Pentagon’s Escort Policy for NYT Journalists

• U.S. District Judge Paul L. Friedman issued a preliminary ruling ordering the Defense Department to halt its policy requiring journalists to be escorted in the Pentagon.

• Context:

  • The New York Times brought the case, taking its second legal action against the Pentagon in five months over newly enacted press restrictions.

  • The escort policy was enacted in March, as mentioned in a previous Free Flow, after Friedman struck down earlier restrictions.

  • Friedman ruled the Defense Department violated the First Amendment and blocked enforcement while the Times’ lawsuit proceeds.

  • Friedman did not specify whether journalists from other news organizations would also get relief from that policy.

» Homeland Security Agents Attempt to Warn Man Over Email to Former ICE Head

• Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents tried to give a warning notice to a man for potentially violating the law after he sent an email to the former head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Todd Lyons.

• Context:

  • In a January 26 email, David Streever compared Lyons to a Nazi and said he would be tormented by his own conscience.

  • On June 23, two HSI agents left a warning notice at Streever’s home with his wife for him to sign.

  • The notice said that ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility is requesting he “remove/or discontinue” the behavior.

  • Streever, who was in Finland when agents visited his home, returned to the U.S. two days later and stayed at a hotel near JFK airport.

  • Hotel staff told him that a Department of Homeland Security agent had come to see him and left a business card.

• What’s Next:

  • The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression filed a lawsuit asking the court to find that Streever’s email was protected speech and to bar further action against him.

  • The suit also cites similar actions by HSI agents and asks the court to declare that such warning notices are “sufficient” to chill protected speech.

  • A statement from DHS said anyone who assaults or threatens officers “will face consequences.”

» University Threatens Diplomas Over Silent Protest

• Florida International University (FIU) threatened to withhold diplomas from students who stood up during a March event to reveal the slogan “ICE OFF FIU” on their shirts.

• Details:

  • Students silently stood at the event while the school president was speaking.

  • Emails obtained by news outlets show school officials admitting the students’ actions “did not disrupt the event.”

  • Months later, the school told students they must make a two-minute “video reflection” on their actions to receive a diploma, citing policies on “student conduct” and expression.

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The Digital Age 🤖

» Supreme Court Declines to Block Texas Age-Verification Law

• The Supreme Court denied petitions to block enforcement of a Texas law requiring app stores to verify users’ ages and obtain parental consent for minors who download apps or make in-app purchases.

• Context: In June, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the law can take effect, suspending a district court’s ruling that it was unconstitutional.

» South Korean Disinformation Amendment Sparks Censorship Concerns

• An amendment to South Korea’s Act of Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection that targets disinformation has sparked censorship concerns.

• Details:

  • The amendment took effect July 7, and allows courts to impose damages of up to five times the harm caused by “false and manipulated” information online.

  • Courts may also fine anyone up to 1 billion won (approximately $660,000) for repeatedly sharing such content.

  • Platforms with at least 1 million users per day are subject to the law.

  • The People Power Party (PPP) argued that the law empowers the government to decide what is false or hateful and risks causing citizens to self-censor.

  • PPP said it will file a constitutional complaint. The law can be paused only if the Constitutional Court grants a temporary suspension before a final ruling.

The Brussels Effect: Europe and Beyond 🇪🇺

» ECJ Says Individuals Can Be Criminally Liable for Sharing RT Content

• The Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) ruled that individuals can face criminal liability for sharing content from Russia Today TV.

• Details:

  • In 2022, EU sanctions prohibited the broadcasting of RT channels.

  • Three individuals in Germany are accused of posting RT Germany content on a website.

  • A German court asked the ECJ whether individuals who finance websites solely through user donations can be considered “operators” and subject to sanctions.

  • The ECJ concluded that the sanction restrictions apply to official broadcasters and the owners and administrators of public websites.

  • The ruling emphasized the restrictions apply to all materials regardless of content, duration, format, or the source of the website’s funding.

» ECtHR Says Suggesting Soccer Referees are Corrupt or Criminal Not Protected Speech

• The European Court of Human Rights ruled that while criticism and insults directed at soccer referees are protected speech, suggesting officials are corrupt or criminal is not.

• Details:

  • The ruling involves cases brought by Porto soccer club concerning a series of punishments imposed by Portuguese authorities and courts.

  • The punishments were tied to attacks and “conspiracy theories” spread by Porto’s media outlets against named referees.

  • The ECtHR ruled against Porto in the majority of the cases. It said Porto’s “accusations of corruption and match manipulation” were made “without a minimal factual basis.”

  • However, it deemed a 2019 article that said a named referee had “a problem with impartiality” and a career “full of untenable decisions” to be permissible value judgments.

  • The ECtHR said that Portuguese punishments for these remarks violated free speech protections and ordered payment of damages.

» French Prosecutors Launch Hate Speech Probe Against Paraguayan Senator

• French prosecutors launched an investigation into aggravated public insult and incitement to hatred over Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla’s social media posts about a French soccer player.

• Details:

  • After Paraguay’s loss to France at the World Cup, Amarilla mocked France captain Kylian Mbappe’s origins, upbringing, education, and appearance on X.

  • The Paris prosecutor’s office can investigate statements made abroad if the victim is a French national.

  • Amarilla could face penalties of up to one year’s imprisonment and a €45,000 fine for her remarks.

  • Yet questions remain how the French government would enforce a potential conviction in this case.

» EU Parliament Shields Encrypted Chats from CSAM Bill

• The European Parliament voted to exclude end-to-end encrypted apps, such as WhatsApp and Messenger, from a bill that allows platforms to scan for child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

• Details:

  • The original bill exempted platforms from certain obligations under EU privacy law, allowing them to scan private messages for CSAM.

  • Parliament rejected a proposal to extend the bill in March, and the rule expired in April.

  • Parliament President Roberta Metsola forced the bill back onto Parliament’s agenda with no changes.

  • Her party attempted to use a rare procedure that requires an absolute majority vote to amend or reject the bill.

  • However, a majority of MEPs voted to amend the bill to exclude end-to-end encrypted communications services.

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Free Speech Recession 🌍

» Tanzanian Authorities Arrest Dozens Ahead of Planned Protests

• Tanzanian authorities arrested dozens of people accused of recruiting youth to join planned anti-government protests.

• Details:

  • On June 26, Tanzania banned political rallies as protesters planned to demonstrate against last year’s election and the detention of opposition leader Tundu Lissu.

  • Army spokesperson Sylvester Mangure asked the public to report anyone recruiting or organizing protesters.

  • Police spokesperson David Misime said, “Strong action will be taken against anyone who participates in the unlawful riots being mobilized through social media.”

» Pakistan Supreme Court Dismantles Press Office

• Pakistan’s Press Association of the Supreme Court sent a letter to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court after its press room was vacated and dismantled last month.

• Details:

  • The press room was vacated on June 15, leaving journalists without a workplace in the Court.

  • Journalists tried to set up a temporary workspace with chairs and sofas, while some worked outside in extreme heat.

  • The letter reports that the registrar’s office ordered the furniture confiscated, leaving journalists to carry out duties on the ground.

  • The Association demands a working environment for court reporters and the addressing of restrictions on media access.

» Iran’s Parliament Protests State Broadcaster

• Iran’s parliament is protesting against the country’s state broadcaster after a pre-recorded interview with Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf was abruptly cut.

• Details:

  • A statement from parliament’s media office said the cut portion included the most sensitive political issues in the interview.

  • It also said the broadcaster should have coordinated with them if it chose not to air parts of the interview.

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Ashley Haek is a communications coordinator and research assistant at The Future of Free Speech.

Audrey Campbell is a communications intern at The Future of Free Speech and an international relations major at American University.

This Week at a Glance 🔎

— 🇺🇸 Justice Department Issues, Withdraws Subpoenas Against Reporters

— 🇦🇺 Australia to Strengthen Enforcement of Social Media Ban for Under-16s

— 🇧🇪 Belgian Police Detain Journalists at US Embassy Event

— 🇺🇬 Ugandan Government Shuts Down Multiple Independent News Outlets

— 🇭🇰 Two Hong Kong Booksellers Arrested for “Seditious Publications”

First of All 🇺🇸

» Justice Department Issues, and Then Withdraws Subpoenas Against Reporters

• The Justice Department issued and then withdrew subpoenas that sought to compel reporters at The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal to testify before a grand jury.

• Details:

  • Reporters from The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post received grand jury subpoenas, which were later rescinded, though the reasons for the withdrawal are unclear.

  • The subpoenas are part of a larger crackdown by the Trump administration on media leaks.

  • Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said that “reporters are not our targets,” but that “we’re not going to stop investigating people who work in this administration who think it’s OK to leak classified information.”

  • The subpoenas come after an April 2025 decision by then-Attorney General Pam Bondi to revoke policy that protected journalists from having their phone records secretly seized during leak investigations.

  • The move gave prosecutors the power to use subpoenas, court orders, and search warrants to unmask sources who make “unauthorized disclosures” to journalists.

  • In January of this year, the Trump administration searched a Washington Post reporter’s home and seized her electronics as part of a leak investigation into a Pentagon contractor, as mentioned in a previous Free Flow.

» Maryland Student Journalists Sign Open Letter Against Prior Restraint Policy

• Around 150 student journalists from high schools in Montgomery County, Maryland have signed an open letter questioning the legality of a policy from a leaked memo, that would require all student articles to receive administrative approval ahead of publication.

• Details:

  • Previous guidelines allowed prior restraint only in narrow categories permitted by the New Voices state law (such as unlawful content).

  • Free speech organizations have come out in support of the students, including the Student Press Law Center (SPLC) and Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.

  • Jonathan Gaston-Falk, an SPLC attorney, argued that “A vague memo that confuses administrators, chills reporting, and muddies rights protected by established Maryland law cannot stand.”

  • After hearing students’ testimony, Montgomery County Board of Education Superintendent Dr. Thomas Taylor said that while “students have a right to appeal decisions that are made… we do also have a responsibility and that responsibility we are going to follow as adults in compliance with the Maryland New Voices Act.”

» California Professor Wins Job Back After Firing for Pro-Palestine Activism

• Sang Hea Kil, a tenured professor at San Jose State University, has won her job back after being fired last year for participating in pro-Palestinian campus protests.

• Details:

  • An arbitrator reduced her termination to a one-month suspension and ordered the school to reinstate her with backpay.

  • She was terminated despite the recommendation of a faculty committee that reviewed the incident and advised against dismissal.

  • Kil filed a lawsuit against the state university system, alleging it had violated employment law and the First Amendment.

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The Digital Age 🤖

» Australia to Strengthen Enforcement of Social Media Ban for Under-16s

• Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced that the government is planning to strengthen laws barring under-16s from social media platforms.

• Details:

  • The move is a response to evidence that the ban, which came into effect in December as mentioned in a previous Free Flow, has failed to keep under-16s off social media.

  • A British Medical Journal study found that 85% of a group of Australian 12 to 17-year-olds were using restricted platforms

  • Fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars on platforms that do not take reasonable steps to remove children’s accounts have also failed as a deterrent. .

  • Albanese told Parliament that the government is considering options to strengthen the ban’s enforcement, and that the government is asking whether “laws are as strong as possible” and whether eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant has “every power at her disposal.”

» Democratic Project 2029 Calls for Child Social Media Ban & Online Safety Rules

• The first proposal to be released by Democrats working on Project 2029, a policy plan ahead of the 2028 presidential election, calls for a ban on social media for kids under 16 and stronger privacy protections.

• Details:

  • The proposal, “Kids Over Clicks,” calls for lawmakers to ban social media platforms for kids under 16 and implement safety measures at the system’s design level.

  • It also proposes updating Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act to exempt AI firms from liability shields for their systems’ outputs.

  • Other recommendations include cellphone bans in schools and a campaign to discourage giving kids smartphones until the age of 14.

» Second Circuit Clears New York Online Hate Speech Law

• The Second Circuit Court of Appeals has concluded that a New York law requiring social media companies to deter hate speech does not violate the First Amendment because platforms aren’t required to adhere to the state’s definition of “hateful conduct.”

• Details:

  • In its order certifying questions to the state court, the Second Circuit said that if companies can comply with the law without fully adopting the state’s definition of hateful conduct, the law survives constitutional scrutiny.

  • The law defines hateful conduct as content that is used to humiliate or incite violence against a group based on race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, disability, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

  • It does not require platforms to explain or publicize their reporting mechanisms with reference to the law’s definition, just that the mechanism be clear and accessible to users.

  • Judge Anthony Cannataro said the statute requires that a company’s disclosure must include only how it will respond to reports of hateful content, rather than compelling networks to specifically address hateful content.

  • The decision will affect how the Second Circuit proceeds with a lawsuit brought by legal expert Eugene Volokh and video site Rumble Inc. against the state, challenging the law as unconstitutional.

» Federal Judge Blocks Nebraska Age-Verification Law

• A federal judge has blocked Nebraska’s Parental Rights in Social Media Act, also known as LB 383, which would have required all users to undergo age verification for social media account creation and required minors to have parental consent to create an account.

• Details:

  • In a case brought by NetChoice, a tech trade association, the judge partially granted an injunction to stop the law from going into effect in July.

  • Judge John Gerrard said the provisions likely violate the First Amendment rights of both the users and the platforms.

  • “On the whole, the law is not tailored to solve the identified problem,” Gerrard wrote. “LB 383 too broadly restricts minors’ ability to access and engage in protected speech, even where speech does not pose the identified risk of harm.”

  • Gerrard, however, allowed a provision requiring companies to create a dashboard for parents to access and monitor children’s posts, interactions, and private messages, to be enforced.

The Brussels Effect: Europe and Beyond 🇪🇺

» Czech Bill Targets Funding for Czech Television & Radio

• A Czech bill that would allocate funding for Czech Television (CT) and Czech Radio (CRo) to the state budget, rather than through the current monthly license fee that households and businesses pay, has sparked concern among experts.

• Details:

  • The change would reduce each outlet’s annual budget to its level before the previous government increased the license fee last year, cutting CT’s 2027 budget by about €41 million and CRo’s by €16 million.

  • The government argues that most EU states have moved away from the license fee model and the country is merely joining the majority.

  • Vaclav Stetka at the European New School of Digital Studies warned that the cuts represent an act of “cultural vandalism” and that “the political elite has never accepted the independence of public media.”

  • The International Press Institute said they had not seen proposals for legislative safeguards to protect the outlets from political influence over future funding decisions.

  • The legislation will take effect next year if approved by both houses of parliament and signed by the president.

» Belgian Police Remove Journalists from US Embassy Event

• Brussels police removed two journalists after they tried to question U.S. Ambassador to Belgium Bill White at an embassy event they were invited to

• Details:

  • Video shows European Correspondent reporter Samuel Dempsey asking White a question before a member of the ambassador’s team cuts him off.

  • Dempsey and editor Julius Fintelmann said local police then surrounded them, questioned them about their outlet’s political agenda, and escorted them from the event—despite the U.S. embassy having officially invited them.

  • Brussels-Ixelles police confirmed their involvement in addressing an “active threat” on behalf of the embassy’s protocol unit.

  • When the European Correspondent later sought comment, White replied: “Both of you are losers.”

» Irish Regulator Adds to ‘Trusted Flaggers’ List

• Ireland’s media regulator, Coimisiún na Meán, has granted three additional organizations “trusted flagger” status under the EU Digital Services Act, allowing them to notify online platforms of illegal content for takedown.

• Details:

  • The added organizations include the Irish Internet Hotline, the Irish Music Rights Organization, and the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland.

  • Platforms must prioritize notices from trusted flaggers and decide on content takedown without undue delay.

  • The new accreditations will remain valid for three years, and can be reviewed or revoked after the period expires.

» Poland Passes Anti-SLAPP Legislation

• On June 19, Polish President Karol Nawrocki signed a law against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs).

• Details:

  • The law, titled the Act on Special Protection Measures in Civil Proceedings for Persons Participating in Public Debate, will provide safeguards to journalists and media outlets against vexatious lawsuits.

  • It includes early dismissal mechanisms for SLAPP lawsuits, detailed definitions to identify SLAPPs, the introduction of security deposits for claimants, and a reversal of the burden of proof on the claimant in such cases.

  • Defendants are not allowed to seek compensation within the same proceedings and must file a separate legal claim for damages.

» Hungary Passes Public Media Reform Law

• Hungary’s new Tisza government seeks to restore independent public service broadcasting through a law amending the governance structures of public media and media regulatory bodies.

• The Law:

  • The law establishes a new Press Fund to support community and minority media, as well as a multi-year funding model for public media.

  • The International Press Institute has urged the government to ensure the legislation is followed with further reforms that target transparency around state advertising, media ownership, and media concentration.

» ‘Citizen Vigilante’ Director Says Germany Banned Movie Over its Messages

• Uwe Boll, the director of action thriller “Citizen Vigilante” starring Armie Hammer, said the film was banned in Germany for its extreme violence and alleged anti-migrant message.

• Details:

  • The film begins with a mother being stabbed to death by migrant criminals in front of her sons, who then dedicates himself to delivering justice to criminals and corrupt officials who protect them. The character primarily targets migrants, though not exclusively.

  • Boll said the country’s ratings board declined to classify the film, leaving audiences to import Blu-ray copies from abroad in order to watch it.

  • He said he challenged the decision in court but lost, claiming authorities argued the film incited violence against migrants.

  • Since the ban, the film has been posted on X for 48 hours, attracting 5 million views, and has been shared by Elon Musk, garnering more than 10.5 million views.

  • The plot was inspired by a 2016 Hamburg case in which a group of teenagers walked free with suspended sentences after raping a 14-year-old girl and leaving her dead.

» Oxford University Reported for Alleged Free Speech Failures

• Free speech advocates have reported Oxford to the Office for Students (OfS), England’s independent regulator of higher education, after the university canceled several lectures.

• Details:

  • Associate Professor Michael Foran canceled his talks on “gender critical and gender identity belief” after protests interrupted opening events.

  • Faculty have said that the canceled lectures will be rescheduled for the next academic year.

  • Groups like the Alumni for Free Speech (AFFS) have criticized the response, arguing that the university should not have allowed protestors in the lecture space, per OfS guidelines.

  • AFFS believes that protestors should face discipline, the university should draft an apology, and that a free speech officer should be appointed.

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Free Speech Recession 🌍

» Canada Passes Combating Hate Act

• Canada’s Combating Hate Act, or Bill C-9, which strengthens prosecution of hate crimes while removing a long-standing protection for expressing religious beliefs, has received Royal Assent and is set to take effect July 18.

• Details:

  • The law bans promotion of terrorism and hate symbols, which include Nazi signs and any flag or symbol of designated terror groups.

  • It also criminalizes intimidation or blocking access to places of worship and increases penalties for offenses motivated by hate.

  • Bill C-9 also removes a section of the Criminal Code that exempts persons who express an opinion on a religious subject or based on a religious text “in good faith.”

Our Take: In a guest post at The Bedrock Principle, Josh Dejaas, the Interim Litigation Director of the Canadian Constitution Foundation, warned that “C-9 is just the latest in a series of laws restricting free expression that Canada’s Liberal government has passed or proposed. A worse one may be on the way”

» Turkey Bans Protests Ahead of NATO Summit

• Turkish authorities have begun enforcing a blanket ban on all protests in Ankara, the capital, ahead of the NATO Summit on July 7 and 8.

• Details:

  • On June 22, the Ankara governorate issued a statement announcing special security measures ahead of the Summit.

  • On June 25, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office announced that 225 people had been linked to ISIS and leftist groups and detained under the measures.

  • 135 of the arrested individuals were referred to court with requests for pre-trial detention.

  • Turkish authorities argue the ban and detentions are necessary to ensure public order and counter alleged terrorist threats ahead of the Summit.

» Hundreds Arrested in Kenya as Families of Deadly 2024 Protest Victims Demand Compensation 2 Years Later

• Police in Kenya have detained hundreds of people and deployed tear gas, as families of those killed in 2024 anti-government protests marched to the Parliament building to demand transparency regarding their compensation.

• Details:

  • In 2024, at least 60 people protesting tax increases were killed while police opened fire outside the Parliament building in Nairobi.

  • On June 15 of this year, families of the victims gathered to protest what they said was a lack of transparency regarding compensation that was promised by the government.

  • President William Ruto said their protest would be allowed, but warned against attempts to “shut down the country,” adding that the government would protect schoolchildren and workers.

  • Protesters barricaded Parliament and highways to Nairobi. Police arrested 335 individuals, with journalists and witnesses claiming that ordinary Kenyans were among those detained.

» Uganda Military Head Shuts Down Independent Media Stations

• Muhoozi Kainerugaba, son of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and head of the country’s military, has announced that NTV Uganda and The Daily Monitor, both part of the Nation Media Group, will be shut down.

• Details:

  • Kainerugaba announced the shutdown in a June 27 social media post on X, and added that “In Uganda, I DO NOT believe in a free press! The press should be guided by cadres of the revolution,” Kainerugaba added.

  • The Daily Monitor reported that armed soldiers were gathered outside its offices in the capital Kampala.

  • A senior NTV reporter said that the military shut down the station’s studios and offices, and those who were working in the building were ordered to leave.

  • The stations went off air the following day, and Kainerugaba said they will not reopen without his permission.

» Hong Kong Police Arrest Booksellers for Selling ‘Seditious’ Publications

• Hong Kong police arrested two people on suspicion of selling seditious publications and receiving funds from foreign political organizations.

• Details:

  • Police investigations reveal the pair are suspected of displaying seditious items and selling seditious publications, including materials that incite hatred against the city’s government, judiciary, and law enforcement agencies.

  • They are also suspected of receiving funds from foreign political organizations, though the statement did not specify which foreign orgs were involved.

  • The bookstore was accused of “soft resistance” by a pro-Beijing newspaper last year, which highlighted the store’s plan to sell jailed pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai’s biography.

  • Police arrested the owner and staff of another bookstore in March for selling seditious publications, including Lai’s biography, as mentioned in a previous Free Flow. The sellers were later released on bail.

» Russian Opposition Politician Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison

• Maxim Kruglov, a former lawmaker in Moscow’s city legislature and the deputy leader of Russia’s Yabloko party that opposes the Ukraine war, was convicted and sentenced to seven years in jail for “spreading lies about the Russian army.”

• Details:

  • Kruglov was arrested in October on charges stemming from two Telegram posts concerning war-time casualty data and events in Bucha, where Russia alleges that Ukrainians staged a massacre.

  • He pleaded not guilty and rejected prosecutors’ claims that political hatred motivated his posts, arguing his career had been devoted to improving life in Russia.

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Ashley Haek is a communications coordinator and research assistant at The Future of Free Speech.

Audrey Campbell is a communications intern at The Future of Free Speech and an international relations major at American University.

This Week at a Glance 🔎

— 🇺🇸 ABC Enlists Audience in Battle With FCC

— 🇵🇰 Pakistani Activist Sentenced to Life for ‘Provactive Speech’

— 🇮🇳 Telegram Sues Over India Block

— 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scottish Parliament Restricts Press Access to Legislature

—📱Texas Urges Supreme Court Against Halting Age-Verification Bill

First of All 🇺🇸

» ABC Enlists Audience in Fight Against FCC Licensing Review

• Disney’s local ABC stations aired messages notifying viewers of its ongoing battle with the Trump administration’s Federal Communications Commission over the commission’s early review of their broadcast licenses, which asked them to submit public comments in support.

• ABC vs. FCC:

  • The move comes after the FCC ordered an early license review of ABC-owned television stations in April, a day after Trump pressured the network to fire late-night host Jimmy Kimmel over a controversial monologue, as detailed in a previous Free Flow.

  • FCC Chairman Brendan Carr insists that the early-renewal order is the result of a separate investigation into diversity, equity, and inclusion practices at Disney, ABC’s parent company.

• Details:

  • The ads urge viewers to contact the FCC by scanning a QR code linking to the agency’s public comment page and align with the FCC’s public comment period to demand that Disney reapply early for its stations’ license renewals.

  • The public comment period will precede any court battles between Disney and the FCC, and while the actions involving The View and the local stations are separate proceedings, the company has said they involve the same free speech principle.

» Thousands of Americans Submit Comments to FCC on ‘Equal Time’ Rule Inquiry into The View

• Over 40,000 public comments have been submitted to the FCC over its inquiry into whether The View should be exempt from the agency’s “equal-time” rule, which requires broadcast stations to provide equal airtime to all legally qualified candidates in a particular race.

• Background:

  • In February, the FCC accused ABC’s The View of violating the equal time rule over Texas Senate candidate James Talarico’s appearance on the show.

  • The agency opened a request for comment in May on whether the show is a “bona fide news interview program” and is exempt from the rule.

  • ABC also sent a legal letter accusing the Federal Communications Commission of attempting to threaten broadcasters and limit political discourse, as mentioned in a previous Free Flow.

Our Take: We, alongside the ACLU, Center for Democracy & Technology, and National Coalition Against Censorship, submitted a public comment to the FCC urging it to reaffirm that The View qualifies as a bona fide news program.

“The First Amendment does not permit the government to decide which interview programs qualify as legitimate journalism based on their viewpoints or perceived political leanings,” said Ashkhen Kazaryan, the lead author of the filing. “For 40 years, the FCC has deferred to broadcasters’ good-faith news judgments. Abandoning that principle now would chill political coverage and invite government scrutiny of editorial decisions that the Constitution places beyond the government’s authority.”

» Texas ICE Protesters Sentenced to At Least 50 Years Imprisonment on Terrorism Charges

• A group of protesters has been convicted of terrorism charges and received sentences of at least 50 years in prison over a July 4 protest at the Prairieland Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Alvarado, Texas.

• The Protest:

  • The demonstrators planned to set off fireworks outside the facility for detainees to hear, as an expression of solidarity.

  • A few protesters separated from the main group and vandalized cars in the parking lot, a guard shack, slashed tires on a government van, and broke a security camera.

  • The incident comes after the Trump administration designated “Antifa” as a domestic terrorist organization in a September executive order and assigned federal agencies to “investigate,” prosecute, and “disrupt” protesters engaging in “anti-capitalism,” “anti-fascism,” and “anti-Americanism” in a memo days later.

• In Court:

  • The defendants denied ties to antifa, short for “anti-fascist.”

  • Prosecutors also focused on the cache of guns that several defendants owned and brought to the protest, though all the firearms were legally purchased, and only one person, Benjamin Song, fired a weapon, hitting an officer in the shoulder. He was sentenced to 100 years.

  • 6 protesters were convicted of riot, providing material support to terrorists, and explosive charges, with 5 sentenced to 50 years in prison and one sentenced to 70 years, with an additional conviction of corruptly concealing a document or record.

  • Several of the defendants, including Elizabeth Soto and her husband, Ines Soto, were not involved in the group that planned to bring firearms; they arrived separately at the protest and left the grounds when facility guards asked. Soto was among those sentenced to 50 years.

» Former Employee Sues EPA for Firing Over Petition Signature

• Elin Warn Betanzo, a former employee of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has filed a lawsuit against the agency, alleging she was fired for signing a petition critical of the Trump administration’s environmental policies.

• Details:

  • Warn Betanzo, a drinking water expert who played a significant role in exposing the Flint water crisis, joined hundreds of EPA employees in July 2025 to sign the “EPA Declaration of Dissent,” a petition to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin criticizing recent agency policies.

  • The petition also alleged that the recent policies undermined the EPA’s mission to protect public health and the environment.

  • Two days later, she and 144 other signatories were suspended despite warnings from the EPA’s own lawyers that retaliation over the petition would likely violate the First Amendment.

  • Betanzo was the only member removed from the council before the end of her term, a move the agency had not done since at least 2000.

  • The agency said it had a “zero-tolerance policy for career bureaucrats unlawfully undermining, sabotaging, and undercutting the administration’s agenda.”

  • Her lawsuit accuses the EPA of violating the First Amendment and Whistleblower Protection Act, among other violations, and asks a judge to reinstate her to the advisory council, clear any disciplinary records related to the petition, award lost pay and damages, and block enforcement of the agency’s “zero tolerance” policy against speech.

» Judge Frees Jordanian National from ICE Custody Amid Political Speech Retaliation Claims

• Salah Sarsour, a Jordanian national and lawful permanent resident, was released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody after a federal judge found that the evidence supported a reasonable inference that his detention was, at least in part, motivated by his political speech.

• Context:

  • Sarsour, the president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, was arrested on March 30 outside his home.

  • An April 2 statement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claimed that he had previously been convicted in an Israeli military court for attempting to illegally possess weapons and ammunition and for throwing a Molotov cocktail at the homes of members of Israel’s armed forces.

  • DHS also claimed he made false statements during the immigration process and had ties to terrorist organizations.

  • Although the DHS argues his original visa application was denied because of his prior convictions, Sarsour entered the U.S. in 1993 and became a lawful permanent resident 5 years later.

• In Court:

  • U.S. District Judge James Hanlon concluded that Sarsour presented evidence that supported a reasonable inference that his pro-Palestine advocacy was “at least a motivating factor” in his detention.

  • The ruling does not resolve Sarsour’s immigration case or whether he will be deported, but it releases him from custody while his First Amendment case against the government is litigated in court.

  • Hanlon noted that authorities had known about Sarsour’s Israeli convictions for decades and had reviewed them while allowing Sarsour to maintain his resident status after more than 30 years in the U.S.

  • The judge noted that while the government argued that foreign policy concerns justified the detention, those interests do not forego First Amendment protections.

The Digital Age 🤖

» Telegram Challenges Block in India

• Telegram, a messaging app, has sued Indian authorities over an order blocking its use until June 22 to prevent exam fraud.

• Details:

  • The order, which took effect on June 16, was a response to Telegram channels claiming to have exam copies of a national medical entrance test that was canceled last month.

  • The test was canceled despite millions having sat for the exam due to allegations of leaked papers.

  • Telegram’s court filing to the Delhi High Court argued that the order was issued “on the impermissible premise that misuse by a subset of users justifies blocking of an entire platform,” citing constitutional and access-to-information concerns.

  • The restriction was issued under a provision in India’s IT law that allows the government to block access to internet apps in the “interest of sovereignty and integrity of India.”

  • India’s Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the government would counter Telegram’s position in court and that it has repeatedly asked the platform to fix its systems.

» Texas Urges Supreme Court Against Halting Age-Verification Bill

• Texas officials have urged the Supreme Court to deny emergency petitions seeking to stop the state’s law requiring app stores to verify users’ ages.

• Details:

  • The emergency petitions were filed by Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT), a student advocacy organization, and the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA), a tech trade association.

  • They aim to halt the Texas App Store Accountability Act, which would require app stores to verify all users’ ages and require parental permission for minors under 18 to download apps or make in-app purchases.

  • In its emergency application, SEAT argued that the law lets government officials regulate online speech under the guise of stopping children from accessing harmful content, and restricts minors’ access to news, community forums, and creative expression platforms.

  • In a separate emergency appeal, the CCIA warned, “Under SB2420, before a Texan may download the Wall Street Journal— or even a weather app or calculator — he must first verify his age.”

  • “And any Texan under 18 must link his account to a verified parent’s account (another verification hurdle) and obtain express parental consent for any app download or any in-app purchase — every audiobook, every movie, and so on—without any possibility of blanket consent,” the CCIA added.

  • A lower court had found that, because the state could not show a compelling interest in restricting every category of speech covered by the act or adequately connect its goals to the law’s mandates, it failed strict scrutiny.

  • The lower court enjoined the law enforcement before the Fifth Circuit paused the injunction, ruling that the law regulates commercial activity and not speech.

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The Brussels Effect: Europe and Beyond 🇪🇺

» Scotland’s Parliament Announces Building Restrictions for Reporters

• Scottish officials have designated an area in the Parliament where journalists must remain after First Minister’s Questions (FMQs), restricting access to public spaces where they previously questioned politicians.

• Details:

  • Journalists generally had broad access to the outside of chambers, where they could question or “doorstep” politicians following debates, major announcements, or FMQs.

  • Now, the media’s movement is restricted to the designated area after FMQs.

  • The parliamentary bureau said it had made the decision “following feedback from a range of building users and discussions with all parties.”

  • The Scottish Parliamentary Journalists’ Association (SPJA) said that the change “represents a significant departure from established parliamentary practice.”

  • “It creates a physical and symbolic barrier between elected representatives and those tasked with holding them to account,” the SPJA added.

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Free Speech Recession 🌍

» Australia’s Health Practitioner Regulation Agency Adopts IHRA Definition of Antisemitism

• The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), the country’s regulator of health professionals, has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which critics argue blurs the line between antisemitism and legitimate criticism of Israel.

• Details:

  • The definition will be used in the agency’s regulatory work, including investigations of complaints lodged against registered health professionals.

  • The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN) argued APHRA’s decision risked silencing political expression about Israel’s actions in Gaza and Lebanon, citing testimony from healthcare workers since October 2023 that revealed “fear of professional consequences for speaking publicly about Gaza and Palestine.”

  • APHRA Chief Executive Justin Untersteiner said the agency is aware of the potential “weaponization of the notifications process” and will view notifications with a framework.

  • It will also establish an advisory panel of practitioners to improve the process and “strengthen safeguards.”

» Pakistani Activists Sentenced to Life Imprisonment Over ‘Provocative Speech’

• Mahrang Baloch, an activist who has spent years campaigning against enforced disappearances in Balochistan, a Pakistani province, has been sentenced to life in prison over accusations of inciting a mob that fatally attacked a paramilitary soldier.

• Details:

  • Baloch began campaigning after her father was allegedly taken by security service officers in 2009 and found dead two years later. She leads an organization called the Balochistan Unity Committee (BYC).

  • She was convicted of murder and terrorism alongside Sibghatullah, a fellow activist, after prosecutors claimed the pair had incited a mob at a 2024 protest in Gwadar.

  • 30-40 people struck one of the soldiers’ vehicles with sticks and stones, according to a security official, who said Baloch had given a “very provocative speech.”

  • The official added that paramilitary soldier Shabbir Ahmed was beaten to death after he was separated from the other soldiers.

  • An anti-terrorism court in Quetta sentenced the pair to life imprisonment and ordered they pay a fine of 200,000 rupees ($719) to Ahmed’s heirs.

» Bangladesh Journalists Charged Over Reporting on State Minister

• Six journalists in Bangladesh have been charged, and one has been jailed over their reporting about the State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development, and Cooperatives, Mir Shahe Alam..

• Details:

  • The complaint, filed by Bogura Press Club Treasurer Tanvir Alam Rimon, accuses journalists, all employees of the Daily Agrajatra Pratidin, of false and defamatory reporting.

  • The complaint also accused the paper’s acting editor, who was jailed, Md. Rezanur Islam, of trying to extort 2 million taka ($16,400) from Rimon and Alam.

  • Islam was arrested on June 18, while efforts to arrest the other journalists remain ongoing, according to police.

  • The State Minister Alam has expressed regret over the arrest and urged others not to pursue action on his behalf.

» Turkey Reverses Order to Shut Down Private University

• Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan has reversed his decision to close Bilgi University, a private foundation university, following backlash from students and faculty.

• Details:

  • On May 22, Erdogan ordered the university’s closure under a law that allows for private institutions to be closed if “the expected level of education and training… is insufficient.”

  • Students stayed overnight to protest the closure, and the number of demonstrators reached the hundreds before the order was reversed.

• Context:

  • In September 2025, the state seized Can Holding, the university’s corporate owner, in a criminal investigation into alleged fraud and money laundering, and placed the conglomerate’s companies under the management of the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund.

  • 10 detention orders were also issued, three of which included Bigli principals.

  • According to Yaman Akdeniz, a professor at the university’s Faculty of Law, no one had heard about Can Holding when it took over the university. “We knew that they were close to the government; they owned many things, and they didn’t interfere with academia.”

  • Akdeniz added that there is no indictment for the alleged crimes yet, and that “Unofficially, some say this is a way to pressure the family into selling the university.”

  • Although Erdogan has reversed his order, Akdeniz notes that he doesn’t expect many students and or their families to choose to attend the university next year, and that could mean it has only a few years left.

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Ashley Haek is a communications coordinator and research assistant at The Future of Free Speech.

Audrey Campbell is a communications intern at The Future of Free Speech and an international relations major at American University.

Isabella Dail is a communications intern at The Future of Free Speech and a recent graduate from Princeton University with a bachelor’s in philosophy.

This Week at a Glance 🔎

— 🇺🇲 Anthropic Pulls Plug on New AI Models after U.S. Order

— 🇨🇦 Canada Proposes Ban on Social Media for Under-16s

— 🇬🇧 UK Proposes Social Media Ban for Under-16s

— 🇮🇳 Mumbai Mayor Calls for Ban on Stand-Up Comedy

— 🇷🇺 Exiled Russian Artist Killed in Poland in Suspected Execution

First of All 🇺🇸

» FTC Sues Transgender Health Group for ‘Deceptive Claims’ on Youth Gender Medicine

• The Federal Trade Commission and four states have filed a lawsuit against the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) over making “deceptive claims” in its health care guidelines for transgender children.

• Details:

  • WPATH is a nonprofit professional and educational organization whose members include psychiatrists, surgeons, pediatricians, endocrinologists, and primary care doctors. The organization does not provide direct medical care to patients.

  • “The FTC filed a lawsuit against WPATH alleging that the organization made false and unsubstantiated claims regarding the necessity, effectiveness and safety of puberty blockers, hormones and sex-change surgeries,” FTC chairman Andrew Ferguson said in a press release.

  • In a statement, WPATH said, “The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is not a medical provider and has no place interfering with the process of individualized medical decision-making.”

  • The suit comes after the FTC probed WPATH and other physician organizations that created guidelines for gender-affirming care earlier this year.

  • WPATH, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Endocrine Society sued the agency separately, arguing the probe was retaliatory. A federal judge ruled in their favor.

  • WPATH noted in its statement that a federal court has already ruled against this effort from the FTC when it blocked the investigation: “WPATH is in a strong position to prove that the FTC is acting out of pure retaliation as part of the federal government’s relentless and targeted campaign to undermine gender-affirming care by attacking the First Amendment rights and the independence of professional medical organizations.”

» Anthropic Pulls Plug on Top AI Models after US Order to Limit Foreign Nationals’ Use

• Anthropic has announced it will “abruptly disable” its most advanced AI models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5, for all users, following a directive from the Trump administration to suspend access to the models for foreign nationals, claiming the order violates principles of fair and fact-based regulation.

• Context:

  • Earlier last week, Anthropic unveiled Claude Fable 5, which has a new tier of capability it calls “Mythos-class” that experts claim could accelerate sophisticated cyberattacks if in the wrong hands.

  • Anthropic claims it worked with the U.S. government, among others, on safety ahead of the model’s launch, and that rival models demonstrated similar capabilities.

  • Yet, on June 12, the company said it had received an export control directive to suspend access to Fable 5 and Mythos 5 for all foreign nationals due to national security concerns, though specific details were not provided.

• Anthropic’s Response:

  • Anthropic claims the directive stems from the government’s belief that there is a method to bypass, or “jailbreak,” a safeguard that prevents Fable 5 from being used to identify software vulnerabilities and unearth minor bugs in code.

  • However, it argues that the U.S. has provided only “verbal evidence of a potential narrow, non-universal, jailbreak,” and that that should not “be cause for recalling a commercial model deployed to hundreds of millions of people.”

  • In response, the company announced it must terminate all customers’ access to the models to ensure compliance, and that it is working to restore access as soon as possible amid what it believes is a “misunderstanding.”

• The tension follows an earlier battle between the AI company and the government after Anthropic refused to allow the U.S. military to use its models for domestic surveillance and for fully autonomous weapons systems, as detailed in a previous Free Flow.

Our Take: “Software and the publication of model components are expression,” Ashkhen Kazaryan argued in an X thread. “When the state restricts a general purpose information tool by invoking national security without particular demonstrated harm, it is doing exactly what the First Amendment exists to stop — a prior restraint on expression justified by speculative risk.

» Supreme Court Declines High School Student’s ‘Defund Planned Parenthood’ Poster Case

• On Monday, the Supreme Court declined to hear a free-speech appeal from a former Indiana high school student who was barred from hanging anti-abortion club flyers reading “Defund Planned Parenthood” on school walls, leaving in place a lower-court ruling that the school could restrict the content.

• Details:

  • The case began in 2021, when a freshman identified as E.D. founded a chapter of Students for Life of America at Noblesville High School.

  • An assistant principal refused to approve two proposed meeting flyers featuring the phrases “Defund Planned Parenthood” and “I am the Pro-Life Generation,” telling her the posters could list only the club’s name, meeting date, time, and location.

  • A federal district court ruled for the school in 2024, finding the flyers “could reasonably be perceived to bear the imprimatur of the school,” and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit upheld that decision.

  • The Seventh Circuit agreed: “This is not a case about tolerating private student speech. To the contrary, E.D. was permitted to wear her pro-life shirt to school and hand out her flyers to students at the activities fair. Instead, it is a case about whether the school must lend its resources (here, literally its walls) — and, by extension, its authority — to disseminate student messages.”

  • The district court had applied a 1988 Supreme Court decision in Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier, which held that a school can exercise “editorial control over the style and content of student speech in school-sponsored expressive activities so long as their actions are reasonably related to legitimate pedagogical concerns.”

  • Justice Samuel Alito criticized the denial, writing that the Court should “clarify the relationship between” the 1988 decision and its other government-speech rulings.

» Federal Judge Blocks Texas AG’s Lawsuit Against Fundraising Platform

• A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction halting Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit against ActBlue, a Democratic fundraising platform, over its donation practices, arguing Paxton infringed on its free speech rights.

• Context:

  • Paxton alleges that ActBlue told Congress in 2024 that it had stopped accepting donations via gift cards and foreign prepaid debit cards, and later quietly resumed accepting gift-card donations, thereby misleading consumers about its fundraising processes and violating state law.

  • The lawsuit argued that the group’s actions facilitated illegal campaign contributions by anonymous foreign nationals and that it should be forced to pay penalties and be barred from accepting gift card donations.

  • ActBlue filed a federal case, claiming Paxton was retaliating after the group had made fundraising announcements about James Talarico, Paxton’s opponent in the race for a U.S. Senate seat.

• In Court:

  • U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns issued a preliminary injunction, arguing that the lawsuit was an attempt to suppress ActBlue’s political speech.

  • “The truth is plain and captured in Paxton’s own declarations: The lawsuit was filed in retaliation for (and in an attempt to suppress) ActBlue’s efforts to fund Talarico’s campaign,” Stearns wrote.

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The Digital Age 🤖

» Canada Proposes Social Media Ban for Under-16s, Expansion of Enforcement Powers

• Proposed Bill C-34 in Canada, also known as the Safe Social Media Act, would ban social media for kids under the age of 16, unless a social media company can prove that it has working safeguards in place for children.

• At the same time, the government has unveiled Bill C-36, also known as the Protecting Privacy and Consumer Data Act (PPCDA), which would reform existing privacy laws to transfer authority from Canada’s privacy commissioner to an incoming Canadian Digital Safety Commission (CDSC).

• Bill C-34:

  • The law would require companies to block users under 16 from creating accounts, though they may seek an exemption if they can demonstrate guardrails in place to protect children from bullying or harmful content.

  • Companies would also be required to remove sexually explicit content that victimizes children and adults, including AI-generated deepfakes, within 24 hours.

  • Although AI chatbots are not included in the social media ban, they will face additional regulations, such as mandated notices directing users to help when prompts explore suicide ideation, self-harm, or criminal activity.

  • The bill would also create the Canadian Digital Safety Commission, which could take up to 18 months to establish after the bill becomes law, and have new powers under another recently proposed law, Bill C-36.

• Bill C-36:

  • Bill C-36 transfers the authority to oversee privacy in the private sector from Canada’s privacy commissioner to the CDSC, and grants it new powers, including the ability to issue platforms binding orders and monetary penalties of up to $10 million or 3% of companies’ global revenue.

  • Officials claim that a privacy and data commissioner will be appointed to the CDSC and will enforce both the PPDCA and the Safe Social Media Act.

  • Among a number of changes, Bill C-36 would allow individuals to request that companies delete their personal information and remove deepfake images or videos from commercial platforms such as social media.