UK Denies Entry to Left-Wing U.S. Commentators & California Moves to Ban Teens from Social Media | The Free Flow 6/4/26

Pentagon bars journalists from press office, Malaysia bans social media for under-16s, UK revokes American commentators electronic visas ahead of SXSW appearance, and more.

This Week at a Glance 🔎

— 🇺🇲 Pentagon Bars Journalists From Press Office

— 🤖 Meta Expands Teen Account Safety Restrictions Globally

— 🇲🇾 Malaysia Begins Enforcing Social Media Ban for Users Under 16

— 🇬🇧 UK Bars American Commentators Entry Ahead of SXSW Appearance

— 🇪🇺 EU Watchdog Moves to Strip European Political Party of Status and Funding

First of All 🇺🇸

» Pentagon Bars Journalists From Press Office, Designating It a Classified Space

• In its latest move to restrict media access to the Pentagon, the Defense Department barred reporters from its press office, designating the space as classified.

• Details:

  • Pentagon reporters have long held press credentials granting them wide movement in the building to interact with press officials.

  • Now, Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez said the office has been redesignated as a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility because speechwriters who “routinely handle classified material” now occupy the space.

• The Bigger Picture:

  • The decision comes after major news outlets surrendered their access badges in October, following a refusal to agree to a new policy requiring journalists to pledge not to gather information not expressly authorized for release, as reported in a previous Free Flow.

  • In a lawsuit brought by The New York Times, U.S. District Court Judge Paul L. Friedman blocked the policy in March, and the Pentagon responded by mandating that all reporters be escorted through the Pentagon grounds.

  • The following month, Friedman ruled that the interim policy violated his March order, but an appeals court stayed part of his ruling, keeping the policy in place while the government appeals.

  • The Times filed a second lawsuit against the escort requirement last month, as reported in a previous Free Flow.

» DOJ Subpoenas Reddit and X to Unmask Anonymous Critics of ICE

• Federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C., subpoenaed Reddit and X seeking the names, addresses, and banking information of users who have criticized the government’s deportation efforts on social media.

• Details:

  • Previous court records show the Trump administration had abandoned the use of administrative summonses to unmask critics, which don’t require a judge or court process to proceed, following legal challenges.

  • Now, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has reportedly issued grand jury subpoenas to social media companies in which two anonymous posters criticized immigration enforcement efforts as part of criminal investigations.

  • Reddit and X have notified some users that they can oppose the data requests, giving them a brief window to intervene.

  • Users claim they remain unaware of the possible offenses under investigation, the posts that caught the government’s attention, or the laws allegedly broken.

• Grand Jury Subpoenas:

  • Grand jury subpoenas allow federal prosecutors to demand documents or testimony to present to grand jurors, who decide whether to indict the defendant. They indicate a criminal investigation, while administrative summons do not.

  • These subpoenas also do not receive judicial review unless they are challenged, and failure to comply can lead to fines and jail time.

  • The bar to quash a subpoena is high, and the challenger must prove that the request is unreasonable or oppressive.

Our Take: “For more than a quarter century, state and federal courts have held that the First Amendment protects the ability to speak anonymously on the internet. Despite this longstanding precedent, the Reddit and X subpoenas arise in a context that will be more challenging for the posters. Courts generally are more deferential to prosecutors seeking grand jury subpoenas than they are to plaintiffs’ lawyers in civil discovery, so it will be an uphill battle.”

» Judge Blocks National Park Service From Removing Anti-Trump ‘8647’ Flag From the National Mall

• A federal judge granted a temporary restraining order against the National Park Service after a chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) alleged a Park Police officer asked a protester to take down an “8647” flag, arguing it suggested a threat against President Trump.

• Details:

  • “86” is a common shorthand for “get rid of” or “throw out.” The phrase “8647” gained heightened scrutiny after two federal indictments were issued against former FBI Director James Comey over an Instagram post of seashells spelling out the digits on a beach, as reported in a previous Free Flow.

  • In April, the ACLU filed a complaint on behalf of Accountability NOW USA, a protest organization, alleging that the National Park Service violated the group’s First Amendment rights by threatening to revoke their protest permit over signs critical of Trump.

  • The ACLU requested a preliminary injunction to bar the revocation of the group’s permit on May 26, and submitted a request for a temporary restraining order the day after, alleging Accountability NOW USA was asked to take down the “8647” flag.

  • The judge rejected the government’s argument that the flag display amounted to incitement and said the evidence shows that the group’s purpose was “to urge that Congress impeach and remove President Trump from office.”

  • The temporary restraining order bars the government from ordering that the flag not be displayed and from revoking the group’s permit because of the flag.

» Judge Overturns West Point’s Prior Restraint on Civilian Faculty Speech

• A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking the U.S. Military Academy at West Point from enforcing a February 2025 policy requiring its civilian faculty to obtain advance approval for “engagements” with external audiences on their academic disciplines.

• Context:

  • The policy applied to faculty “while on duty or when using any USMA affiliation or branding,” and included, but was not limited to, journal articles, conference presentations, media interviews, op-eds, and social media posts.

  • It followed an executive order from the month prior that banned West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy, and the U.S. Air Force Academy from “promoting, advancing, or otherwise inculcating…un-American, divisive, discriminatory, radical, extremist, and irrational theories.”

  • The theories listed in the executive order included “divisive concepts,” “gender ideology,” race or sex “stereotyping,” and “scapegoating,” and the idea that “America’s founding documents are racist or sexist.”

  • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had also commanded the service academies to ban instruction on critical race theory and DEI.

• In Court:

  • West Point law professor Tim Bakken sued the academy and six of its leaders in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in September 2025 over the policy and comments from the West Point Academic Board dean advising faculty not to “advocate for a particular position or ideology” in the classroom.

  • The court found the preapproval policy likely violates the First Amendment and issued a preliminary injunction barring its enforcement against any civilian faculty.

  • The ruling also forbade the academy from restraining Bakken “from expressing or offering his opinions, beliefs, or views to his students on the subjects he teaches.”

The Digital Age 🤖

» Fifth Circuit Allows Texas App-Store Age Verification Law to Take Effect During Appeal

• A federal appeals court has ruled that Texas’s App Store Accountability Act, which requires app marketplace operators to verify users’ ages and mandates parental consent before minors under 18 download apps or make in-app purchases, can take effect.

• Details:

  • The law also requires app developers to indicate whether their apps are appropriate for children in four tiers: under 13, teens aged 13-15, older teens aged 16-17, or adults aged 18 or older.

  • In a case brought by the Computer & Communications Industry Association, a tech trade group, and the advocacy group Students Engaged in Advancing Texas, federal district judge Robert Pitman issued a temporary injunction in December 2025, arguing that the law likely violated the First Amendment.

  • “The Act is akin to a law that would require every bookstore to verify the age of every customer at the door and, for minors, require parental consent before the child or teen could enter and again when they try to purchase a book,” Pitman wrote.

  • Upon appeal by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily blocked the injunction on the Act while it continues to review the case, without explaining its reasoning.

» Florida Sues OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, Seeking Personal Liability for Harms to Users

• Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman over the company’s design and safety, claiming that its systems present a “great danger of addiction, cognitive decline, suicide, violence, and related harms” to users.

• Context:

  • The civil action is separate from Uthmeier’s criminal investigation into the company, launched in late April of this year.

  • Uthmeier said he seeks civil penalties and a court order “to hold Altman personally liable.”

• The Lawsuit:

  • OpenAI is accused of four counts of deceptive and unfair trade practices, two counts of negligence, two counts of violating product liability laws, and one count each of fraudulent misrepresentation and causing a public nuisance.

  • A wide array of commonly cited risks from AI are cited, including that advertisements don’t display warnings about hallucinations or falsities, that ChatGPT’s sycophancy can cause dangerous psychological attachment, and the illicit provision of medical and legal advice.

  • The company maintains that it has integrated safety measures into its systems and that it has “safeguards in place to help people, especially teens, when conversations turn sensitive.”

» Meta Expands Teen Account Safety Restrictions Globally Following Court Losses

• Meta has expanded its content settings for teen accounts across Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger globally, as part of an initiative launched last October in select countries to prevent children from accessing inappropriate content.

• The company has also announced an Instagram feature aimed at diversifying the content teens see to prevent repetitive exposure to certain themes.

• Details:

  • “We recognize that some content— like posts about nutrition, weightlifting, or how to cope with anxiety— can be helpful, but it should be balanced with other types of content rather than shown repeatedly,” the company said.

  • Meta has also said that a “limited content” setting will be made available on Facebook and Messenger this year to further restrict potentially harmful content.

  • The new features come after a Los Angeles jury found Meta negligent in designing social media platforms that are harmful to young people in March, as reported in a previous Free Flow.

» Malaysia Begins Enforcing Social Media Ban for Children Under 16

• Malaysia has begun enforcing a ban on social media accounts for children under 16, requiring social media platforms with at least 8 million users in the country to implement age-verification systems and block children from creating accounts.

• Details:

  • The country’s Communications and Multimedia Commission said that age-verification will be rolled out over the next six months, and current users under 16 will have a month to download or transfer any data before restrictions are applied.

  • Companies that violate the ban could face penalties of up to $2.5 million, though parents whose children manage to circumvent the rule will not be penalized.

  • Platforms have yet to describe how they will comply, though Clara Koh, Meta’s director of public policy for Southeast Asia, has cautioned that the ban could drive teenagers away from protected apps to unregulated corners of the internet.

» California Bill Barring Teens Under 16 From Social Media Passes the State Assembly

• The California Assembly has passed a bill that would ban minors under 16 from using social media platforms with “addictive features,” including notifications, endless scroll, and autoplay.

• Details:

  • The bill would require social media platforms with addictive features to verify users’ ages and delete the accounts of minors under 16, or face financial civil penalties.

  • An e-safety commission would also be established to oversee the legislation’s implementation.

  • The bill now heads to the state Senate.

The Brussels Effect: Europe and Beyond 🇪🇺

» UK Bars American Commentators Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker, Citing ‘Public Good’

• The British Home Office has canceled the electronic travel authorizations of American political commentators Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker because “their presence in the U.K. may not be conducive to the public good.”

• Details:

  • Uygur, co-host of “The Young Turks” on YouTube, draws over 200 million views per month. Piker, his nephew, has a daily audience of 30,000 on Twitch.

  • The pair claim they’ve been “banned for criticizing Israel.”

  • The statement from the Home Office did not mention Israel, and said that decisions to “refuse or cancel” people’s electronic authorization “on these grounds are based solely on an assessment of the potential risk an individual may pose ot U.K society.”

  • Both men had been scheduled to speak at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in London this week and at the University of Oxford.

  • Piker’s SXSW talk was titled “How the American Left Learned to Speak the Internet”; Uygur’s was “Techno-Feudalism is Here. Who Are the Lords?” Piker had also been scheduled to appear at the University of Oxford.

  • The UK previously blocked 11 people described as “foreign far-right agitators” in May who had been scheduled to speak at an event organized by Tommy Robinson, an anti-Islam activist.

» Germany Fines Facebook User for Calling Chancellor Merz ‘Lügenfritz’

• A German court has imposed a criminal fine on a Facebook user for calling Chancellor Friedrich Merz “Lügenfritz” (“Lying Fritz”), ruling that the remark constituted a criminal insult under Section 188 of Germany’s Criminal Code.

• Background:

  • The case arose after Merz visited the city of Heilbronn in October 2024. Local police posted a notice on Facebook about a temporary ban on drone flights during the visit, prompting dozens of comments criticizing the chancellor.

  • Prosecutors reviewed 38 comments for possible violations of Section 188, a controversial provision that grants enhanced protection against insults directed at public figures involved in political life.

  • The Öhringen District Court issued a penalty order of 30 daily income-based fines against a user who referred to Merz as “Lügenfritz.” The penalty has already become final.

  • Other cases produced mixed outcomes. Prosecutors dropped investigations into comments calling Merz “Pinocchio” or a “Lügen-Kasper” (“lying clown”), while courts also issued penalty orders against users who referred to him as “Ftzn Frieder” or “Fo****Fritz.”

  • Section 188 has long been criticized for its potential chilling effect on political debate. The law permits heightened penalties when speech directed at political figures is deemed capable of significantly hindering their public work.

  • Prosecutors argued that calling Merz “Lügenfritz” could undermine public confidence in the chancellor’s integrity and encourage further hostility among like-minded individuals, thereby satisfying the requirements of Section 188.

» German Police Detain Right-Wing Activist at Airport to Block Remigration Summit Attendance

• German federal border police detained Generation Identity activist Maximilian Märkl at the Munich Airport, where he was traveling to Porto, Portugal, to attend the Remigration Summit 2026.

• Details:

  • Märkl is one of the national spokesmen for Identitäre Bewegung Deutschland (IBD), a right-wing youth movement that seeks to preserve the cultural identity of European countries, and was scheduled to speak at the Remigration Summit, where leaders associated with anti-migration / remigration campaigns gather.

  • Märkl was taken into custody at the airport and banned from traveling to Portugal until the end of the event. He must report to his local police station twice a day in the interim, or risk a €500 penalty for each absence.

  • Authorities cited that Märkl’s participation in the event “threatens the reputation of the Federal Republic of Germany” as justification for the ban, while a federal police citation also argued that the concept of “remigration” violates the German constitution.

  • A year prior, German police had arrested a group that had been similarly banned from attending the Summit after they circumvented the ban and drove to Italy, where the Summit was taking place.

» EU Watchdog Moves to Strip European Political Party of Status and Funding

• The Authority for European Political Parties and Foundations, the watchdog that oversees European parties, has initiated a process that could result in the Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) party being banned and losing its funding for failing to uphold EU values.

• Details:

  • The watchdog monitors whether political parties and foundations comply with EU rules requiring them to uphold core values, including “respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and human rights, including the rights of minorities.”

  • The ESN party is separate from the ESN political group in the European Parliament, which comprises 27 MEPs. The group and party were founded by Alternative for Germany (AfD) in 2024, and comprise alliances of national parties funded by the EU budget.

  • The watchdog argued that certain evidence, including court rulings, screenshots, and social media posts from MEPs and party lawmakers that display anti-immigration, antisemitic, and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, “cast doubt on the compliance” of the ESN party with EU values.

  • In a statement to POLITICO, the Authority said it had “provided facts…to the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission” to allow them to decide whether to lodge a request for verification of compliance with Union values with the Authority.

Our Take: At the Bedrock Principle, Natalie Alkiviadou and Justin Hayes warn that banning or sanctioning political parties can backfire, “fueling narratives of martyrdom and persecution and weakening the legitimacy of democratic pluralism.”

Free Speech Recession 🌍

» The U.S. Revokes Visa of Chinese State Media Journalist After Beijing Expels NYT Reporter

• China expelled New York Times correspondent Vivian Wang in February over a Times event in December, in which Taiwan’s president appeared on video, though wang played no role in the event.

• In a diplomatic tit-for-tat, the Trump administration has revoked the visa of a U.S.-based Chinese state media journalist.

• Context:

  • Chinese officials had complained for months about Wang’s coverage, which often tackled topics related to censorship, Beijing’s response to COVID-19, and the expansion of China’s security state.

  • A couple of dozen foreign journalists employed by American news organizations are believed to be based in China after Mr. Xi assumed power; the Times now has one correspondent, and The Washington Post has not had one for several years.

  • China’s foreign ministry has reduced the number of long-term visas issued to American journalists, and short-term visas are less likely to be renewed if Beijing officials dislike the journalists’ coverage.

• Ongoing Feud:

  • In February 2020, three Wall Street Journal correspondents were expelled after the publication released an opinion essay critical of Beijing, despite having no role in the essay’s publication.

  • Around the same time, the Trump administration announced that five state-run Chinese news organizations operating within the U.S., including Xinhua, the outlet of the journalist whose visa it revoked, would be subject to regulations similar to those that apply to foreign diplomats.

  • The number of journalists allowed to work for those organizations in the U.S. was also capped at 100.

  • China retaliated by expelling a dozen more American journalists working for The Times, The Journal, and The Post, demanding detailed information about their activities.

  • Ms. Wang was admitted into China after the Biden administration struck an agreement with Beijing in 2021 that granted visas to several journalists.

» Israeli Police Compile Dossiers on Critical Foreign Journalists to Support Entry Bans

• Court documents released in a legal challenge by Italian freelance photojournalist Alessandro Stefanelli reveal that Israeli police have established a police body to review foreign journalists’ work and recommend entry bans against those whose coverage is deemed critical of Israel.

• Details:

  • Stefanelli, a contributor to Le Soir, La Stampa, and other publications, had, with Israeli government press credentials, made 13 reporting trips to Israel and the West Bank over two and a half years and was banned in June 2025.

  • Police documents found his coverage to be “one-sided,” citing articles he had photographed for but had not written, and including a tweet authored by someone else as evidence.

  • The police document on Stefanelli stated that the police had recommended that population control authorities ban other foreign journalists based on a review of their work, but the names of the journalists in question were not released.

  • Reporters Without Borders (RSF) referenced a ban on Spanish freelancer Queralt Castillo, which authorities justified by arguing that entry to the country “will not be permitted for those who act against Israel.”

  • documents specified that police had recommended entry bans against other unnamed foreign journalists based on similar reviews. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) referenced a ban on Spanish freelancer Queralt Castillo, justified by authorities “as part of its fight against antisemitism and the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement.”

  • Israeli Interior Ministry spokesperson Sabine Haddad confirmed to Index on Censorship that the Government Press Office (GPO) — which had fully accredited Stefanelli for each of his reporting trips — “did not object” to his ban.

» Bolsonaro Family Allies Target Intercept Brasil Reporters Over Corruption Coverage

• A lawmaker in Brazil, Helio Lopez, has sent letters to the Supreme Federal Court (STF) and the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) requesting an investigation into The Intercept over “selective leaks.”

• Details:

  • The letters came a day after the outlet published an investigation into the relationship between Senator and current presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro, an ally of Lopez, and jailed banker Daniel Vorcaro.

  • The investigation showed that Flávio negotiated with the banker to finance the film “Dark Horse,” about his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro.

  • Dallas-based freelance reporter Steven Monacelli also faced harassment and threats after attempting to get a comment from Flávio’s brother, Eduardo Bolsonaro, who is currently residing in Texas.

  • When Monacelli rang Bolsonaro’s doorbell, Bolsonaro called local Southlake, Texas, police and posted a social media video saying that “people in Texas have firearms at home.”

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