The Free Flow — July 3, 2025
Paramount settles Trump lawsuit over Harris interview, X expanding fact-checking with AI-generated context notes, Turkey sanctions broadcasters over guest commentary, and more.
This Week At A Glance 🔎
— 🇺🇲 Paramount settles Trump lawsuit over ‘60 Minutes’ Harris interview
— 𝕏 X to expand fact-checking with AI-generated context notes
— 🇹🇷 Turkey sanctions broadcasters over guests’ criticism
— 🇿🇼 Zimbabwean journalist detained for insulting the president
— 🇷🇸 Serbian police arrest dozens in protest crackdown
First of All 🇺🇸
» Appeals Court Revives Challenge to U.S. Visa Social Media Disclosure Rule
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has partially revived a First Amendment lawsuit challenging the State Department’s rule requiring applicants seeking student or cultural exchange visas to disclose their social media handles.
Details:
The mandate officially took effect last week, following the Trump administration's pause of visa interviews to expand social media vetting, as reported in prior Free Flows.
Civil society groups and documentary film organizations joined forces to file a lawsuit challenging the rule.
The appeals court ruled that the plaintiffs hadn't yet demonstrated that their harms could be remedied by prevailing, and remanded the case, allowing them a chance to seek leave to amend their case.
» Paramount Pays $16 Million to Settle Trump’s ‘60 Minutes’ Lawsuit
Paramount will pay $16 million to President Trump’s foundation for his future presidential library to settle his lawsuit and cover his legal fees over the editing of a 2024 “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
Details:
CBS has committed to releasing full transcripts of all future presidential candidate interviews conducted on the show.
Some executives at the company saw the settlement as a necessary step to finalize a sale to the Hollywood studio, Skydance, which needs approval from the Trump Administration.
Jacob Mchangama argued on X: “This capitulation is a slap in the face to media outlets, journalists, and dissidents in authoritarian states.”
» Governor Newsom Sues Fox News for Defamation Over Trump Call Coverage
California Governor Gavin Newsom filed a $787 million defamation lawsuit against Fox News over its coverage of a phone call between him and President Trump.
Details:
Newsom agreed to dismiss the lawsuit if a formal retraction and an on-air apology were issued by host Jesse Watters, who had claimed the Governor lied about his call with the president.
Fox News called the lawsuit a "frivolous" attempt to "chill free speech critical of him" and vowed to defend itself vigorously.
» Trump Administration Threatens CNN with Prosecution
President Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem publicly admonished CNN for two recent reports, one on the impact of U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear program, and the other on an app alerting users to immigration enforcement raids.
Pushback Over Military Report:
The network published a leaked Defense Intelligence Agency report that contradicted Trump’s claims that a U.S. airstrike “totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Trump floated the idea that CNN could be “prosecuted also for having given false reports on the attack on Iran.”
Pushback Over ICEBlock Report:
Secretary Noem also accused CNN of endangering law enforcement and aiding illegal immigration by covering ICEBlock, an app that alerts users of immigration raids.
Noem claimed, “We’re going to actually go after [CNN] and prosecute them.”
» TN Congressman Calls for Denaturalization of New York Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani
In the wake of his victory in the Democratic primaries, Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) posted a letter calling for denaturalization proceedings against the NYC mayoral candidate to Attorney General Pam Bondi on X.
Details:
Ogles’ post labelled Mamdani as an "antisemitic, socialist, communist" and accused him of seeking to "destroy" New York City.
Ogles’ letter accused Mamdani of “procuring U.S citizenship through willful misrepresentation or concealment of material support for terrorism,” referencing his rap verse “Free the Holy Land 5/ My guys.”
It also stated that “While I understand that some may raise First Amendment concerns about taking legal action based on expressive conduct, such as rap lyrics, speech alone does not preclude accountability where it reasonably suggests underlying conduct relevant to eligibility for naturalization.”
Donald Trump has also threatened to arrest Mamdani, calling him a “Communist Lunatic.”
» Trump Threatens Musk with Deportation Over Spending Bill Criticism
President Trump has suggested deporting Elon Musk after the billionaire criticized Trump's $5 trillion spending bill, calling it a "pork-filled" debt increase.
Details:
Musk, a South African-born entrepreneur and major GOP donor, publicly slammed Trump’s bill on X, threatening to fund primary challengers against the proposed legislation’s supporters.
Trump said his administration would "have to take a look" at Musk’s status, despite Musk being a naturalized U.S. citizen since 2002.
Trump claimed Musk was upset over the bill’s rollback of electric vehicle mandates and referenced using the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to target him.
The Digital Age 🤖
» X to Let AI Bots Fact-Check Posts with Human Oversight
Elon Musk’s X is expanding its Community Notes program by allowing AI bots to propose fact-checks on posts, although human users will still be responsible for approving them.
Details:
The program, launched initially as Birdwatch, crowdsources contextual notes on misleading or false posts and has become a model for user-driven fact-checking.
The new feature will let developers build AI bots that propose draft notes, which will undergo the standard approval process and be clearly labeled as AI-generated.
» Supreme Court Upholds Texas Age-Verification Law for Adult Websites
In a 6-3 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Texas law requiring websites where at least one-third of the content is "sexual material harmful to minors" to verify users’ ages before granting access.
Context:
A district court had initially blocked the law, finding it likely unconstitutional under strict scrutiny and partially overridden by Section 230, but the Fifth Circuit reversed the ruling.
Justice Elena Kagan, joined by Justices Sotomayor and Jackson, wrote in their dissent that the ruling introduces a troubling new "partially protected" speech category.
In a statement about the ruling, Ashkhen Kazaryan said, “The Court’s ruling forces adults to sacrifice their anonymity and privacy to access legal online speech — content that they otherwise have a right to view.”
The case was Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton.
» Federal Judge Blocks Georgia’s Social Media Age Verification Law on Free Speech Grounds
On June 26, a U.S. District Court judge issued a preliminary injunction against Georgia’s “Protecting Georgia’s Children on Social Media Act,” after NetChoice challenged the act.
Details:
The law would require children under 16 to obtain their parents’ explicit permission to create social media accounts.
Georgia joins a growing list of states moving to restrict children’s access to social media.
» Tech Trade Group Sues Arkansas Over Social Media Liability Law
NetChoice has filed suit against Arkansas over its newly enacted Act 901, which holds social media platforms liable if their algorithms are linked to user suicides or harmful behaviors.
Details:
The law allows parents of children who die by suicide to sue platforms for hosting or promoting harmful content.
In its complaint, NetChoice argued, “by banning speech based on what impact it ultimately has on any user of the online service, the law sweeps in all manner of constitutionally protected expression that NetChoice members currently disseminate.”
» Ninth Circuit Rules School Board President Violated First Amendment on Social Media
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that a California school board president violated parents' First Amendment rights by deleting comments and blocking access to her personal social media accounts after they criticized the school's leadership.
Details:
The Ninth Circuit applied recent Supreme Court precedent in Lindke v Freed/O’Connor Ratcliff v Garnier (2023).
Judges found that the board president had made her accounts a public forum by speaking on behalf of the school district and conducting official business on them.
Similarly, Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland agreed to a settlement after blocking critics like journalist Matthew Foldi and author Bethany Mandel from engaging with a school-affiliated Pride group on X.
The Brussels Effect: Europe and Beyond 🇪🇺
» EU Disinformation Code Now Legally Binding Under DSA
As of July 1, the EU’s Code of Practice on Disinformation has become a formal compliance tool under the Digital Services Act, requiring major platforms to meet new transparency, auditing, and risk mitigation standards.
Details:
Platforms are now subject to mandatory audits, with disinformation controls serving as a key test of DSA compliance.
The move comes ahead of EU-U.S. trade talks, with Brussels rejecting pressure to alter its digital rules in response to American concerns.
U.S. lawmakers, led by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), warned that the DSA could impose de facto global censorship by forcing platforms to adopt uniform moderation systems.
» EU Eyes Meta Over Revenue Links to Russian-Backed Media
The European Commission is reviewing findings from NGO ‘What To Fix’ alleging that Meta maintained monetization ties with Russian state media outlets RT and Sputnik, despite EU sanctions and disinformation guidelines.
Background:
The investigation found these entities remained part of Meta’s partner-publisher program, potentially enabling them to earn ad revenue via Facebook, in breach of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and Code of Practice against Disinformation.
While the Commission has not formally requested documentation from Meta, it confirmed that it is “actively monitoring” the issue through NGO reports and civil society engagement.
» Denmark Moves to Criminalize Deepfake Distribution Amid Misinformation Fears
Denmark’s government has announced plans to outlaw the distribution of deepfake images and digital imitations of personal characteristics, with exceptions for satire and parody.
Details:
The proposed law, backed by a cross-party majority, aims to pass later this year or in early 2026 and must comply with Denmark’s international and EU legal obligations.
The proposal would allow “parodies and satire,” but failed to specify how that content would be determined.
» UK Exempts China from Measures as it Launches Foreign Influence Registration
The UK’s new Foreign Influence Registration Scheme officially came into force on July 1, requiring individuals conducting “political influence activities” on behalf of foreign powers to register or face up to five years in prison.
Details:
FIRS mandates transparency around lobbying, public communications, and other influence operations.
While Russia and Iran have been placed in the “enhanced tier,” requiring disclosure of all activities, China was notably excluded from the same tier.
Press Freedom Watch 🗞️
Turkey Arrests Journalists Over Alleged Prophet Muhammad Cartoon: Four employees of LeMan magazine were detained after publishing a cartoon interpreted by some as depicting the Prophet Muhammad. Authorities condemned the image as an insult to religious values, though LeMan denied it was a caricature of the Prophet and defended its intent. Protests erupted in Istanbul, leading to clashes with riot police. Arrest warrants have been issued for other staff members as a criminal investigation proceeds.
Turkey’s Broadcast Regulator Sanctions Media, Threatens License Revocations: Turkey’s media regulator RTÜK imposed a 10-day broadcast ban on Halk TV over remarks made by a guest discussing sectarian tensions. The June 22 broadcast featured physicist Tolga Yarman criticizing the symbolic naming of infrastructure and rising religious divides, comments the RTÜK ruled incited hatred. Halk TV, Tele 1, and SZC TV have also been fined in other cases of guest comments critical of government officials or pro-government media.
Court Dismisses Anti-Semitism Lawsuit Against Haverford College on First Amendment Grounds: A federal judge ruled that most of the incidents in a Title VI Lawsuit against Haverford College involved protected political speech, dismissing the lawsuit. The court found that criticism of Israel, campus protests, and controversial lectures fell within First Amendment protections and did not meet the legal threshold for harassment or deliberate indifference by administrators.
Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa Acquitted in Foreign Ownership Case: Nobel laureate and Rappler CEO Maria Ressa and five colleagues were acquitted of foreign media ownership charges in the Philippines, marking the end of 22 out of 23 cases filed against her. Press freedom groups now urge the Philippine Supreme Court to overturn her final conviction for cyber libel.
Russia Bans 15 European Media Outlets in Escalating Censorship Drive: On July 1, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced the blocking of 15 European news outlets, framing the move as a “retaliatory” response to EU sanctions against Russian state media. The Kremlin accused the EU of violating “media pluralism” and escalating sanctions.
Ireland Set to Pass Major Defamation Reform: The Dáil, Ireland’s lower house and principal chamber of parliament, is expected to pass a Defamation Bill this week, which would abolish juries in defamation cases and introduce protections against SLAPPs. The Bill also includes measures to reduce legal costs and a new defense for retailers facing defamation claims.
Parliament Fast-tracks Defamation Law Rollback in Georgia: On June 26, Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party passed sweeping amendments to the Law on Freedom of Speech and Expression, which weakened key defamation safeguards for journalists. The law broadens defamation and insult provisions, allows retroactive prosecutions, and strips away protections for good faith reporting and public interest journalism.
Trump Refiles Lawsuit One Day Before Iowa’s Anti-SLAPP Law Takes Effect: On June 30, former President Trump and two Iowa Republicans refiled their federal case against the Des Moines Register in state court. This move aims to bypass Iowa's new anti-SLAPP law, which became effective July 1 and provides stronger protections for news organizations facing lawsuits related to public interest reporting.
Zimbabwean Journalist Detained for Insulting President: Faith Zaba, editor of the weekly Zimbabwe Independent, was detained on July 1 for allegedly undermining the authority of or insulting the country’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Zaba was arrested after publishing a satirical article in the weekly’s Muckraker column.
Azerbaijan Jails Two Academics for Treason Over Advocacy and Research: Azerbaijani academics Bahruz Samadoc and Igbal Abilov were sentenced to 15 and 18 years in prison, respectively, on charges of “high treason.” Samadov, a Prague-based researcher and peace activist, was arrested during a visit to Baku last year, after criticizing Azerbaijan’s treatment of ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. Abilov was sentenced for academic exchanges on minority rights with an Armenian colleague.
Finland’s State Secrets Verdict Against Journalists Raises Alarms: The Helsinki Court of Appeal upheld the convictions of Helsingin Sanomat journalists Tuomo Pietiläinen and Laura Halminen for disclosing and attempting to disclose state secrets, despite one article never being published. The journalists maintain that their 2017 reporting contained old and publicly sourced information.
Protest Watch ✊
Malaysian Federal Court Strikes Down Protest Notification Penalty: On July 1, 2025, Malaysia’s Federal Court ruled that criminalizing protest organizers for failing to notify police five days in advance is unconstitutional. Amnesty International hailed the decision as a major step toward protecting peaceful assembly and ending the misuse of notice requirements to suppress dissent.
Dozens Detained in Serbian Anti-Government Protest: Serbian police arrested dozens of anti-government protesters, including many student protestors, during clashes in Belgrade over the weekend. The arrests followed months of demonstrations against President Aleksandar Vucic’s government, with protestors demanding early elections and denouncing corruption and crackdowns on free speech.
Bangladesh Re-Arrests Ex-Police Officer Amid Protest Outcry: Former Khulna sub-inspector Sukanto Das was re-arrested in Chuadanga after public outrage over his release earlier this week. Das faces multiple cases for alleged attacks on student protesters during last year’s July Uprising, which toppled Sheikh Hasina’s government. His initial release triggered demonstrations and a brief lockdown of a local police station by angry residents.
Kenyan Rights Groups Demand Release of Detained Activists: Human rights organizations in Kenya are calling for the immediate release of three activists arrested following the June 25 protests in Nairobi and Machakos. The activists face charges of incitement and property damage—allegations their supporters say are politically motivated and part of a broader crackdown on dissent.
Quick Hits 💨
Nebraska Passes Foreign Agent Law with Broad Disclosure Requirements: Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen signed the Foreign Adversary and Terrorist Agent Registration Act into law on June 25, requiring any business or nonprofit engaging in political activity, publishing, or fundraising on behalf of designated foreign adversaries to register as foreign agents. The law mandates public disclosure of names, addresses, and citizenship status, with penalties up to $50,000 for noncompliance.
Algerian Court Upholds 5-Year Sentence for Author Boualem Sansal: An Algerian appeals court upheld the five-year prison sentence for Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, convicted of "undermining national unity" over comments on Algeria’s borders. The case has heightened tensions with France and drawn international concern over Algeria’s crackdown on free expression.
UF Law Student Suspended Over Antisemitic Posts: The University of Florida has suspended law student Preston Damsky over antisemitic social media posts, igniting a free speech fight. Critics say the posts are hateful but constitutionally protected, while UF argues they pose a true threat to campus safety.
Glastonbury Performer’s Anti-IDF Chant Creates UK Police Probe and U.S. Visa Cancellation: British police are reviewing rapper Bobby Vylan's Glastonbury performance and his U.S. visa has been cancelled after he led chants of "Death to the IDF." Authorities are also examining footage from Irish rap group Kneecap's performance on the same day to determine if any criminal offenses occurred.
UK Higher Education Regulator Asked to Investigate Bristol University Over Islamophobia Allegations: 12 groups, including The Free Speech Union, have formally asked the Office for Students (OfS) to investigate the University of Bristol for its handling of false Islamophobia allegations against law professor Steven Greer. Though fully exonerated in 2021, Greer says the university failed to protect him and chilled academic freedom by removing his course module on Islam, China, and the Far East.
Finland’s Supreme Court to Hold Oral Hearing in Hate Speech Case: Finland’s Supreme Court has announced it will hold an oral hearing in the long-running hate speech case against MP Päivi Räsänen, which focused on her public expression of Christian views on sexuality. The case centers on whether quoting Bible verses critical of homosexuality during a 2019 social media post and radio appearance constitutes hate speech under Finnish law.
Hong Kong Warns Against U.S. Independence Day Celebration: Teachers have alleged Hong Kong authorities have warned them and students against participating in U.S. Independence Day celebrations as that may breach national security laws. A text message sent by a school principal said the education bureau’s regional office had reminded them to avoid violating Hong Kong laws on July 4th.
Ava Sjursen is a communications intern at The Future of Free Speech and a student at Boston College studying communications and political science.
Ashley Haek is a communications coordinator at The Future of Free Speech.