Federal Agents Send Warnings to Man Over Email to Former ICE Head & France Probe Paraguayan Senator for Hate Speech | The Free Flow 7/10/26
Homeland Security agents attempt to warn a man over a critical email to the former ICE head, French prosecutors launch a hate speech probe into a Paraguayan senator, and more.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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