British University Halts Research after Pressure from China & Protests in Tanzania Turn Deadly | The Free Flow 11/6/25
British University halts research after pressure from China, protests over Tanzanian election results turn deadly, Russia bans the world's largest anime platform over "extremism," and more.
This Week At A Glance 🔎
— 🇨🇳 Chinese Law Says Influencers Need a Degree to Discuss Professional Topics
— 🇬🇧 British University Halts Research After Pressure From China
— 🇹🇿 Protests Over Tanzanian Election Results Turn Deadly
— 🇷🇺 Russia Bans Anime Platform Over “Extremist” Content
First of All 🇺🇲
» Threats against President Trump and Admin Officials Face First Amendment Tests
Three recent cases are testing the line between criminal threats of violence and First Amendment-protected speech and protests.
Jury Acquits Man of Urging Violence against Trump Online
A jury in Virginia acquitted Peter Stinson of soliciting a crime of violence for posting a call for someone to “take the shot” at President Donald Trump.
Stinson also said the only realistic solution “is violence,” fantasized about Trump’s violent demise, and even said he would be “willing to pitch in” for a hitman.
However, Stinson’s counsel argued that it did not meet the elements required to prove actual incitement to violence because it was not clear whom Stinson was soliciting to carry out the crime.
They also argued that their client’s posts were not threats but rather “political advocacy that the First Amendment was squarely designed to protect.”
Police Still Have Stephen Miller Critic’s Phone, Despite No Official Charge
After distributing leaflets disclosing the home address of White House official Stephen Miller, Barbara Wien had her phone taken by local Virginia police and searched despite not being charged with any crime.
One federal statute makes it a crime to make public information like the home address of a government official — but only if the intent behind the publication is to “threaten, intimidate, or incite the commission of a crime of violence.”
Wien distributed leaflets denouncing Miller’s policies, especially those related to immigration, but the investigation remains active.
Illinois Man Charged with Threatening to Kill President Trump
Derek S. Lopez, a resident of Winthrop Harbor, Illinois, was charged by prosecutors with threatening to kill President Trump on social media, though he maintains his online activity is performance art.
Lopez wrote that he had killed Charlie Kirk despite Tyler Robinson being arrested and charged for the assassination last month, and posted videos of a man pointing a gun at Trump with a target on his forehead.
Lopez also tweeted that the government shutdown was the perfect time to “kill the president” and said he was going to do it, despite warnings from F.B.I. agents.
The Digital Age 🤖
» Chinese Law Requires Influencers to Have a Degree to Discuss Professional Topics
On October 25, a new law in China came into effect that requires social media influencers to provide official qualifications before creating content on professional topics.
Details:
Creators must demonstrate expertise by holding a degree, license, or certification before discussing topics such as medicine, law, education, and finance.
Creators are also required to explicitly identify AI-generated material and indicate whether there are any references to research studies.
The Cyberspace Administration of China stated that the law aims to protect people from misleading content and harmful advice online, and also prohibits the advertising of medical products, supplements, and health foods.
Platforms including Bilibili, Weibo, and Douyin must verify creators’ credentials and ensure that content includes proper citations and disclaimers.
The Brussels Effect: Europe and Beyond 🇪🇺
» Next Phase of UK Online Safety Act Will Include Algorithm Audits
The Chief Executive of Ofcom, Melanie Dawes, the UK regulatory body for communications, said the next phase of the Online Safety Act will subject tech companies to audits of the social media algorithms that promote content to children.
Details:
Dawes warned that companies will face enforcement action if they cannot demonstrate that their algorithms have prevented minors from accessing harmful content.
She also revealed that Ofcom has held meetings with U.S. tech giants about how the OSA affects AI models and is pushing for age-verification tools in AI.
“You may see some enforcement action from us in the next few months if we don’t start to get the answers that we’re looking for on the algorithmic side of things,” Dawes said.
» EU Could Require Tech Platforms to Address ‘Hybrid Threats’ to Democracy
According to Reuters, a proposal set to be introduced by the European Commission next month seeks to require online platforms subject to landmark EU tech regulations to detect and tackle hybrid threats.
Details:
Hybrid threats include disinformation campaigns or the use of social media to control the political narrative.
The document is part of the European Democracy Shield, a broader initiative of the European Union aimed at countering foreign information manipulation and interference.
EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen is expected to announce the proposal on November 13, which also urges tech companies that signed up to the Code of Conduct on disinformation to analyze the impact of deepfakes and AI-generated media on elections and identify counter-measures.
» Former Manchester City Player on Trial Over Social Media Posts
Former Manchester City football club player Joey Barton is on trial at Liverpool Crown Court over X posts targeting TV commentator Lucy Ward, fellow football pundit Eni Aluko, and broadcaster Jeremy Vine.
Details:
Barton is accused of 12 counts of sending a grossly offensive electronic communication with the intent to cause distress or anxiety, and is known for his general viewpoint that women should not comment on men’s football.
In January 2024, Barton likened Ward and Aluko to the “Fred and Rose West of football commentary,” comparing them to the infamous pair of British sexual abusers and serial killers.
Barton later posted an image of Ward and Aluko’s faces superimposed on a photo of the Wests.
Free Speech Recession 🌍
» British University Halted Research After Pressure from China
Sheffield Hallam University, home to the Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice (HKC), ordered one of its professors to halt research about human rights abuses in China following a demand from Beijing.
Background:
Professor Laura Murphy was researching supply chains and forced labor in China, examining Uyghurs, a persecuted Muslim minority subjected to forced labor programs.
The instruction for Murphy to halt her research came only six months after the university decided to abandon a planned report on the risk of Uyghur forced labor in the critical minerals supply chain, and returned associated funding to the original grantor.
However, The Guardian reports that emails reveal commercial factors were a consideration in halting Murphy’s work.
The university has faced backlash in China for years, and its websites were blocked in China in 2022, negatively impacting student recruitment. State officers even visited the university’s office in Beijing in 2024 to request a cessation of research activity.
Sheffield Hallam stated that the official reasons for halting Murphy’s work were concerns for staff safety in China and the university’s insurance provider withdrawing coverage for outputs from the HKC. This withdrawal occurred after a Chinese company sued the HKC following its inclusion in a report.
Developments:
Following threats of legal action from Murphy, the university lifted the ban on her work and issued an apology in October.
The investigation has been referred to the counter-terrorism police under Section 3 of the National Security Act, where behavior that “intends that conduct materially assist a foreign intelligence service in carrying out UK-related activities” is an offense.
» Protests Over Tanzania Election Results in Mass Casualties
Videos circulated by rights groups show piles of corpses and young protesters with bullet wounds, after mass protests swept Tanzania over President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s inauguration.
Details:
Mass protests erupted after Hassan’s inauguration on Monday, resulting in school closures, public transportation shutdowns, and the continuation of a full internet blackout.
Chadema, the largest opposition party in the country, has declared the election results a sham, despite the party being barred from contesting the elections and its leader, Tundu Lissu, facing an ongoing trial for treason.
Although collecting on-the-ground information remains difficult amid internet outages, Chadema spokesman Deogratias Munishi said security forces have launched a violent crackdown on protesters, resulting in over 1,000 deaths.
Tanzanian authorities have said they have no figures on casualties and deny accusations of excessive force.
» Russian Authorities Ban World’s Largest Anime Platform
Russian authorities have banned MyAnimeList, the world’s largest anime and manga platform, over “extremist” LGBTQI+ content without citing a formal reason.
Details:
Russia’s media watchdog, Roskomnadzor, said the ban could be lifted if the platform, based in Tokyo, removes content deemed unlawful in Russia.
The decision comes two years after Russia’s Supreme Court declared the international LGBTQI+ movement “extremist,” and after Mangalib, an online manga library, was fined $170,000 for the same reasons, as reported in a previous Free Flow.
Ashley Haek is a communications coordinator and research assistant at The Future of Free Speech.
Ava Sjursen is a communications intern at The Future of Free Speech and a student at Boston College studying communications and political science.