freedom of speech news stories on Newser

Ai Weiwei: China Will Never Beat Internet

Mark Russell — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 11:55:00 CDT

Authoritarian societies are all about propaganda and control, but the Internet has destroyed both of those pillars, writes the famous Chinese artist Ai Weiwei in the Guardian . Unlike Russia's glasnost , China never really opened ideologically to the West, only practically. Then came the Internet, and thanks to blogs and microblogs—...

Should Fake Military Boasts Be a Crime?

Matt Cantor — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:07:05 CST

Since 2006, lying about military valor—claiming to have received a prestigious medal, for instance—could result in prosecution. But that could change after this Wednesday, when the Supreme Court reviews the Stolen Valor Act. Proponents of the law, which include the Obama administration, say it prevents fraud. Such liars...

Virginia School Board Sued Over Ten Commandments

John Johnson — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 14:33:05 CDT

Dispatches from the church-and-state front: Ten Commandments: Civil liberties groups have sued the school board in Giles County, Virginia, demanding that a Ten Commandments plaque be removed from a high school hallway. The board says it's simply part of a display of historical documents, including the Declaration of Independence, but...

Judge: It's OK to Whine About Work on Facebook

John Johnson — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 18:00:09 CDT

A potentially big win for those who like to carp about their jobs on Facebook: The National Labor Relations Board has ordered a Buffalo nonprofit to reinstate five workers who got fired for doing just that, reports Inc . They get back pay to boot. One catch: If you do want...

Syria Charges Hundreds With ‘Maligning the State’

Kevin Spak — Wed, 04 May 2011 11:15:41 CDT

Hundreds of the Syrians rounded up in recent days have been charged with “maligning the prestige of the state,” an offense punishable by a three-year prison term, a human rights group tells Reuters . “Mass arrests are continuing across Syria in another violation of human rights and international conventions,” a member...

Gloating Westboro Vows to Quadruple Protests

Rob Quinn — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 07:46:47 CST

The Westboro Baptist Church reacted to its Supreme Court victory yesterday with its usual amount of tact and good grace. Gloating leaders of the Kansas-based extremist church vowed to quadruple the number of protests at military funerals now that the court has ruled such demonstrations are protected under the First...

Supreme Court: Westboro Protests Protected

Polly Davis Doig — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 10:19:03 CST

John Roberts' Supreme Court ruled 8-1 today that the controversial Westboro Baptist Church pickets outside military funerals might be "outrageous," but they're also protected under the First Amendment. The ruling upholds a reversal of a lower court's $5 million award to a dead Marine's father, who sued Westboro members after...

Pennsylvania Cops Now Let You Swear All You Want

Kate Schwartz — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 09:43:58 CST

Say it with me, foul-mouthed Pennsylvanians: Hot damn! It is officially no longer a crime to utter choice four-letter words in the presence of state police. They've agreed to stop citing the public for cursing as part of a settlement yesterday of a federal free-speech lawsuit. That suit stems from...

Assange Could Face Espionage Act Charges

Kevin Spak — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 08:38:31 CST

The US government is trying to pin Julian Assange and his WikiLeaks cohorts with charges under the Espionage Act—a 1917 law that predated various Supreme Court cases expanding First Amendment protections. The FBI is examining everyone who came into possession of the State Department cables that leaked yesterday, sources...