Censorship
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Press Statement
Court Says White House Can’t Exclude AP From Press Pool Based on Viewpoint
Opinion is “careful, well-reasoned,” Knight Institute says
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Deep Dive
School Surveillance Systems Threaten Student Privacy, New Knight Institute Lawsuit Alleges
By Jennifer JonesThis op-ed explains how schools use surveillance systems to spy on student laptops. -
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Press Statement
Farmers and Advocates Seek Preliminary Injunction Requiring USDA to Restore Purged Climate Webpages
Farmers have been stripped of vital digital resources due to the Trump Administration’s climate webpage purge, motion seeks to restore access and prevent additional webpage removals
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Press Statement
Knight Institute and SMU Law Clinic Seek Immediate Release of Records Related to Texas School’s Use of Surveillance Technology
Say surveillance systems in schools undermine students’ privacy and expressive rights, government should release related public records
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Press Statement
Knight Institute Calls on Speaker Johnson to Ensure Public’s First Amendment Rights at Town Halls
Says government officials cannot block critics at public forums, whether in-person or online
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Press Statement
Knight Institute Urges Court to Restore AP to White House Press Pool
Says excluding AP violates First Amendment’s “public forum” doctrine
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Press Statement
Knight Institute and ACLU Urge Court to Construe Foreign Agent Registration Act Narrowly
Overbroad law has chilling effects on journalists, media organizations, and nonprofits
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Press Statement
Trump USDA Sued for Erasing Webpages Vital to Farmers
Loss of Critical USDA Resources Will Hurt Farmers and Food Security
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Press Statement
Trump Proposal to Target Non-Citizens for Deportation on the Basis of their Speech Is Unconstitutional, Knight Institute Says
Cites previously released ICE memos that examine First Amendment limits on the government’s ideological screening of immigrants
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Press Statement
Supreme Court Should Strike Down TikTok Ban, Knight Institute Says
The Court’s ruling will have broad implications for free speech online
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Deep Dive
Don’t Assume the First Amendment Will Thwart Trump’s Pro-Censorious Agenda
With Trump in the Oval Office, the U.S. Supreme Court will find itself having to answer questions it has sidestepped for years.
By Jameel Jaffer -
Institute Update
New Podcast on Speech & the Border
Season three of “Views on First” looks at the frontiers of censorship and surveillance
By Lorraine Kenny -
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Event
Regardless of Frontiers: The First Amendment and the Exchange of Ideas Across Borders
A symposium and exhibition exploring the international border as a venue, justification, or pretext for censorship or surveillance
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Press Statement
Federal Court Blocks University of Maryland’s Unconstitutional ‘Expressive Event’ Ban
Knight Institute, ACLU, and FIRE say decision is an important victory for students’ First Amendment rights
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Deep Dive
Title VI as a Jawbone
The fact that Title VI has come to possess such importance when it comes to regulating protest and political expression on campus raises significant First Amendment questions
By Evelyn Douek & Genevieve Lakier -
Press Statement
Federal Court Says National Institutes of Health Censored Critics on Social Media in Violation of First Amendment
Knight Institute, PETA, and Animal Legal Defense Fund say decision is victory for free speech online
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Press Statement
Federal Court Says Warrant Required for Device Searches at the Border
Cites concerns about chilling effects of warrantless searches on free speech & press freedom
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Institute Update
Knight Institute Symposium on the Exchange of Ideas Across Borders to Feature Prominent Scholars and Immigration Advocates
Public event to be held on October 17-18, 2024, at Columbia University and online
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Press Statement
Knight Institute Comments on Challenge to Federal TikTok Ban
Says TikTok should prevail on First Amendment grounds
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Event
Permission to Speak Freely? Managing Government Employee Speech in a Democracy
A symposium examining the speech rights of public employees—and the threats they face
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Institute Update
War & Speech
A new season of “Views on First” about free speech and the war in Israel and Gaza
By Jameel Jaffer -
Podcast
"Views on First: War & Speech"
An exploration of the free speech fallout of the war in Israel and Gaza
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Institute Update
Knight Institute Symposium on Government Employee Speech to Feature Leading Scholars in Law, History, and Political Science
Public event to be held on April 5, 2024, at Columbia University and online
By Katy Glenn Bass -
Press Statement
Foundation for Global Political Exchange and Knight Institute Challenge U.S. Treasury Department’s Unlawful Suppression of Political Speech
Say agency’s interpretation of regulations impedes the exchange of ideas and violates the First Amendment
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Essays and Scholarship
Free Speech, Identity, and Power
Observations on the state of free speech from a longtime free speech advocate.
By Gara LaMarche -
Press Statement
Knight Institute to Provide New Legal Support to Researchers Studying Online Platforms
New Initiative is Necessary Because of Threats From Platforms and Government, Institute Says
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Press Statement
Knight Institute Comments on Supreme Court Argument in Social Media Blocking Cases
Says Court should make clear that public officials who use social media accounts to conduct official business must comply with the First Amendment
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Institute Update
An Introduction to My Project: Permission to Speak Freely?
An interdisciplinary initiative exploring the speech rights of public employees
By Sam Lebovic -
Press Statement
Researchers and Knight Institute Challenge Constitutionality of Texas TikTok Ban
Lawsuit says ban compromises academic freedom, impedes vital research
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Press Statement
Knight Institute Comments on Montana TikTok Ban
Says ban likely to be struck down on First Amendment grounds
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Event
Secret Surveillance
Countering spyware’s threats to freedom of the press and expression
10:00 am - 12:00 pm ET
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Press Statement
Knight Institute Comments on Proposed TikTok Ban
Says ban of speech platform would raise serious First Amendment concerns
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Essays and Scholarship
Weaponized from the Beginning
A century-old specter of propaganda and lies distorting the public sphere is raised as intermediary institutions that manage unregulated speech are undermined
By John Fabian Witt -
Deep Dive
The Espionage Act Has Been Abused — But Not in Trump’s Case
Reforms to the law are long overdue, but they have nothing to do with the Mar-a-Lago search
By Jameel Jaffer -
Press Statement
Supreme Court Declines to Hear Challenge to Intelligence Agencies’ Unconstitutional Censorship Systems
The Knight Institute and the ACLU call on the Biden administration and Congress to fix the agencies’ broken system of “prepublication review”
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Inside Look
Edgar v. Haines: Could Overturning a 1980 Supreme Court Case Help Fix the Broken Prepublication Review System?
The Institute’s Ramya Krishnan on challenging the 40-year-old case underlying the intelligence agencies’ sweeping censorship system
By A. Adam Glenn -
Deep Dive
Why is The U.S. Still Probing Foreign Visitors’ Social Media Accounts?
Many people expected the Biden administration to end a Trump-era policy. Instead, the administration is expanding it.
By Anna Diakun & Carrie DeCell -
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Press Statement
Federal Appeals Court Dismisses Challenge to Sweeping Justice Department Policy Silencing Immigration Judges
Knight Institute says the court’s decision is a blow to the free speech rights of immigration judges and the public
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Essays and Scholarship
How the Biden Administration and Congress Can Fix Prepublication Review: A Roadmap for Reform
Prepublication review is a sweeping and broken system in need of repair
By Jameel Jaffer , Alex Abdo , Meenakshi Krishnan & Ramya Krishnan -
Press Statement
Knight Institute Asks Congressman Massie to Stop Blocking Critics From His Official Twitter Account
Says representative is violating the First Amendment
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Press Statement
Knight Institute, ACLU Petition Supreme Court To Review Constitutionality of Intelligence Agencies’ “Prepublication Review” Regimes
Say that the regimes impose unconstitutional restrictions on the speech of former government employees
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Press Statement
In Knight Institute Lawsuit, Court Orders CDC to Release Trump Administration Policies Restricting Employees’ Ability to Speak to Press and Public
Withheld policies raised public-health and free-speech concerns in the early months of the coronavirus pandemic
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Quick Take
Platforms Not Required to Amplify Officials’ Harmful Speech, Argues Institute’s Litigation Director
But public interest dictates that even politicians’ ‘repugnant’ speech deserves a place on social media
By Bilal Choudhry -
Essays and Scholarship
What We Owe Whistleblowers
Jameel Jaffer argues that their disclosures since 9/11 have been vital, and that we should protect them better than we do
By Jameel Jaffer -
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Press Statement
Texas Attorney General Agrees To Not Block Critics from His Twitter Account
A victory for Texans’ First Amendment rights in Knight Institute v. Paxton
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Quick Take
The Pentagon Papers 50 Years Later
Safeguarding press freedom today requires extending protections to whistleblowers and limiting the use of the Espionage Act
By Lorraine Kenny -
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Press Statement
Texas Attorney General Unblocks Twitter Critics in Knight Institute v. Paxton
A notable victory in securing Texans’ First Amendment rights
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Deep Dive
Paxton Critics Blocked, Now Unblocked, from Texas AG’s Twitter Account
Texas AG unblocks critics in response to Knight Institute, ACLU of Texas lawsuit maintaining the account is a "public forum" under the First Amendment
By A. Adam Glenn -
Analysis
Julian Assange is still in prison. And America's democratic principles are still at stake.
By Jameel JafferThe past four years have underscored the extent to which our democracy depends on the ability of journalists to report government secrets.
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Press Statement
Knight Institute Comments on Executive Orders Aimed at Banning TikTok and WeChat in the United States
Says bans raise serious First Amendment concerns
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Press Statement
Knight Institute Comments on U.S. Army and Navy Reinstating Banned Twitch Users and on Navy Issuing Revised Channel Policies
Says new policies need to be enforced on a viewpoint-neutral basis
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Press Statement
Knight Institute Comments on U.S. Army Reinstating Banned Twitch Users
Urges Navy to also cease banning users based on viewpoint
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Press Statement
Knight Institute Sues President for Continuing to Block Twitter Critics
Says practice defies earlier court ruling, violates the First Amendment
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Press Statement
U.S. Army and Navy Must Stop Banning Speech About War Crimes from Their Twitch Channels, Knight Institute Says in Demand Letter
Says practice suppresses “core political speech” and violates the First Amendment
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Press Statement
Immigration Judges Challenge Justice Department Speech Policy
Sweeping policy prevents judges from speaking out about immigration law and policy
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Press Statement
Knight Institute and ACLU Sue Trump Administration for Prepublication Review Records
Suit seeks documents that would shed light on abuse of review system to influence public discourse in advance of upcoming election
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Press Statement
Knight Institute Reacts to Ruling in U.S. v. Bolton
Welcomes rejection of prior restraint but says other aspects of ruling raise concern
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Press Statement
Knight Institute and ACLU File Amicus Brief in U.S. v. Bolton
Say government’s attempt to suppress publication of book violates First Amendment
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Press Statement
Knight Institute Comments on U.S. v. Bolton
Says effort to suppress publication of book raises grave First Amendment concerns
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Press Statement
Knight Institute Comments on Reports that White House Will Sue to Block Publication of John Bolton’s Book
Says request for prior restraint against publication is highly unusual and suspect
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Analysis
Redactions in CDC Communications Policies Leave Key Questions Unanswered
By Anna DiakunNewly released CDC documents, confirm Office of Vice President’s involvement in CDC Covid-19 communications but leave important details concealed
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Podcast
Podcast: Freedom of Speech, National Security and the Perils of Silencing Former Officials
On the "Vital Interests" podcast, Jameel Jaffer discusses government transparency and the prepublication review process
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Analysis
A Cyberbully in the Oval Office
Executive order aimed at regulating social media is a profoundly dangerous attempt to punish Twitter for its speech
By Katie Fallow -
Press Statement
Knight Institute Comments on Twitter's Decision to Flag President's Minneapolis Tweet
Says the First Amendment protects Twitter’s right to respond to the president’s speech
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Analysis
A District Court Endorses a Broken Prepublication Review System
The ruling is troubling and a step in the wrong direction
By Alex Abdo , Jameel Jaffer , Meenakshi Krishnan & Ramya Krishnan -
Press Statement
Knight Institute, ACLU To Appeal Court Ruling in Lawsuit Challenging Constitutionality of Far-Reaching Government Censorship System
"Prepublication review" silences voices that the public needs to hear and violates the First Amendment
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Analysis
Public Officials Can’t Block Critics from Official Social Media Accounts
Appeals court protects public’s right to read and respond to official social media accounts, at a time when we rely on them most
By Carrie DeCell & Meenakshi Krishnan -
Essays and Scholarship
How to Regulate (and Not Regulate) Social Media
Creating incentives for social media companies to be responsible and trustworthy institutions
By Jack M. Balkin -
Press Statement
Knight Institute Asks CDC for Policies Restricting Employees’ Speech
Policies raise public-health and free-speech concerns in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic
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Analysis
The Espionage Act Reform Bill Addresses Key Press Concerns
Provides crucial safeguards for reporters
By Carrie DeCell & Meenakshi Krishnan -
Analysis
Revised Justice Department Policy Still Silences Immigration Judges
Policy prevents judges from speaking out without prior approval
By Stephanie Krent -
Analysis
The Trump Administration Is Gagging America’s Immigration Judges
Excerpt from an essay by the Institute's writer-in-residence published in The Atlantic
By Cristian Farias -
Analysis
New Documents Point to Special Treatment for Favored Officials
Includes correspondence in which former senior officials pressure agencies reviewing their manuscripts
By Meenakshi Krishnan -
Analysis
John Bolton's Silence — Here’s How He Could Lawfully Break It
How Bolton could publicly share his story
By Jameel Jaffer & Ramya Krishnan -
Analysis
We May Never See John Bolton's Book
A New York Times op-ed by Jameel Jaffer and Ramya Krishnan on the dangers of prepublication review
By Jameel Jaffer & Ramya Krishnan -
Analysis
Explainer: Prepublication Review and How it Applies to Bolton
Government censorship system could block Bolton's memoir
By Alex Abdo & Meenakshi Krishnan -
Press Statement
Knight Institute Comments on White House’s Review of John Bolton’s Upcoming Book
Warns that the prepublication review system is profoundly broken
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Press Statement
Knight Institute Calls on DOJ’s Executive Office for Immigration Review to Suspend Policy Silencing Immigration Judges
In a letter, the Institute argues that the agency’s policy, which it recently obtained through a FOIA request, violates the First Amendment
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Analysis
Visiting the U.S.? The Government is Reading Your Old Facebook Posts
A new lawsuit could help stop the surveillance of 14 million people a year who visit the US. The courts must put an end to overreach.
By Carrie DeCell & Cristian Farias -
Press Statement
Knight Institute Responds to Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s Settlement in Twitter Blocking Case
Applauds her for recognizing she was wrong to block critics from her Twitter account
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Analysis
Facebook and Free Speech Are Different Things
Some Thoughts about Mark Zuckerberg’s Remarks at Georgetown University
By Jameel Jaffer -
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Press Statement
Appeals Court Holds that President Trump Violated First Amendment by Blocking Critics on Twitter
Decision helps ensure the integrity and vitality of public discourse online
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Video
Prepublication Review: A Far-Reaching System of Government Censorship
Whiteboard video showing how the prepublication-review system has grown increasingly unwieldy, arbitrary, and far-reaching
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Press Statement
Appeals Court Holds Ravi Ragbir Can Challenge Deportation on First Amendment Grounds
Courts can consider whether First Amendment bars ICE from targeting immigrants for exercising free speech
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Analysis
Silence Surrounds Extreme Vetting of Ideas at the Border
Knight Institute lawsuit seeking records on the government's extreme vetting program produces only heavily redacted records and little information on the program
By Carrie DeCell -
Analysis
The Government’s Own Documents Show that Prepublication Review Is Broken
Thousands of documents obtained through FOIA show that prepublication review is a tangled mess
By Ramya Krishnan -
Analysis
The Government’s System of Censoring Its Former Employees Is Unconstitutional
Lawsuit argues government’s process for reviewing writings by millions of former government employees violates First Amendment
By Ramya Krishnan & Vera Eidelman -
Press Statement
Knight Institute, ACLU Challenge Constitutionality of Far-Reaching Government Censorship System
Lawsuit argues “prepublication review” unconstitutionally restricts speech of millions of former public servants
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Analysis
The Government Had to Approve This Op-Ed
Prepublication review of the writings of current and former federal employees violates their First Amendment rights.
By Mark Fallon -
Press Statement
Appeals Court Hears Oral Arguments in Challenge to President's Twitter Blocking
Knight Institute defends its First Amendment victory in Knight Institute v. Trump in 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
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Analysis
I Was Blocked by @realDonaldTrump
The seven plaintiffs in Knight Institute v. Trump share how they feel about being blocked on Twitter by the President of the United States
By Rebecca Pilar Buckwalter-Poza , Philip Cohen , Eugene Gu , Holly Figueroa , Nicholas Pappas & Brandon Neely -
Analysis
Fourth Circuit Holds that Blocking on Public Official’s Social Media Page Violates First Amendment
Knight Senior Staff Attorney Katie Fallow and intern Ella Epstein comment on Davison v. Randall in MediaLawLetter
By Katie Fallow & Ella Epstein -
Press Statement
Appeals Court Holds Government Official Who Blocked Critic from Facebook Page Violated First Amendment
Fourth Circuit ruling forecloses public officials from suppressing critics on official social media pages.
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Press Statement
Knight Institute Says CNN, Acosta Lawsuit Against White House Is a Necessary Defense of First Amendment
First Amendment bars White House from revoking reporter's access because it doesn't like his questions, says Executive Director Jameel Jaffer
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Analysis
Immigrants' First Amendment Rights at Stake as the Second Circuit Hears Ragbir Case
Appeals court considers if federal immigration officers can retaliate against immigrant activists who exercise their First Amendment rights
By Ramya Krishnan -
Press Statement
First Amendment Prohibits ICE from Retaliating Against Immigrant Rights Activists, Legal Groups Argue
The First Amendment prohibits the government from retaliating against noncitizen activists for peacefully protesting the government’s immigration activities, according to an amicus brief filed by the Knight Institute and other legal organizations.
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Press Statement
Knight Institute Asks White House to Unblock More Twitter Critics from @realDonaldTrump Account
Letter lists 41 Twitter users who remain blocked from the @realDonaldTrump account despite district court decision that the blocking violates the First Amendment
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Forum
Blocked: The Trump Twitter Case in Context
Why Knight Institute v. Trump matters for the health of American democracy
By Lincoln Caplan -
Press Statement
President Trump Unblocks Twitter Critics, Files Notice of Appeal in Knight Institute v. Trump
Plaintiffs receive notice they are no longer being blocked from @realDonaldTrump account
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Press Statement
Federal Court Rules that President Trump’s Blocking of Twitter Critics Violates First Amendment
In Knight Institute v. Trump, judge holds @realDonaldTrump constitutes a “public forum” under the First Amendment
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Press Statement
Knight Institute to Represent Plaintiff in the First Social-Media-Blocking Lawsuit to Reach Appellate Court
Brian Davison, Virginia resident temporarily blocked by local official on Facebook, prevailed in district court
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Analysis
Comey's Book and Prepublication Review
James Comey's blockbuster memoir sailed through the byzantine world of prepublication review. But for other public servants, publishing their stories can be frustrating and discouraging
By Ramya Krishnan -
Forum
Is the Cure of Censorship Better than the Disease of Hate Speech?
Review of Nadine Strossen's Hate examines the First Amendment argument that the strongest counter to hate speech is more speech
By Randall Kennedy -
Press Statement
Knight Institute, Georgetown Law File Amicus Brief in Ragbir v. Homan
Argue ICE Violating First Amendment by Targeting Immigrant Rights Advocates
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Analysis
Twitter is the Modern Public Square. So Can the President Block You?
At the heart of Knight Institute's Trump Twitter lawsuit is the principle that every citizen has a right to speak and be heard
By Katie Fallow -
Forum
Fighting for the First Amendment
A plaintiff in Knight Institute v. Trump explains why she signed on to the legal fight against President Trump for blocking her on Twitter
By Rebecca Pilar Buckwalter-Poza -
Analysis
Is Trump’s Twitter Behavior Constitutional? A Court Will Decide.
Twitter is a novel means for presidential communication, but the problem of government officials limiting and manipulating political speech is all too familiar
By Jameel Jaffer -
Video
All the President's Twitter Blocks
Knight Institute Senior Staff Attorney Katie Fallow discusses the Knight Institute's First Amendment lawsuit against the president, on PBS's "The Open Mind"
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Podcast
Podcast: Trump, Twitter, Charlottesville, and the First Amendment
Jameel Jaffer joins BRIC Radio to discuss President Trump's blocking critics on Twitter
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Podcast
Podcast: Presidential Lawsuits
On "In The Thick," Jameel Jaffer discuss the Knight Institute's First Amendment lawsuit against President Trump
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Press Statement
Digital Rights, Federal Court, and First Amendment Experts Endorse Trump Twitter Suit
Amicus briefs from Electronic Frontier Foundation, First Amendment scholars, and federal court scholars support Knight Institute challenge to president's blocking of Twitter critics
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Analysis
How Twitter Killed Free Speech
A country where speaking one’s mind always results in death threats is not a country that can be said to be truly free
By Tim Wu -
Press Statement
White House Argues Trump's Twitter Account Beyond Reach of Constitution
First response to Knight Institute suit challenging president's practice of blocking critics
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Press Statement
White House Won’t Contest that Trump Blocked Twitter Users for Criticizing Him
Joint stipulation sets stage for landmark litigation
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Analysis
Is the Trump Administration Censoring a New Book on Government Torture?
Forthcoming book by former NCIS agent on how America used torture as a weapon of war may be heavily redacted—or never released
By Alberto Mora -
Press Statement
Critics Blocked by Trump to Ask Court to Reinstate Access While Suit Proceeds
Letter from plaintiffs in Knight Institute v. Trump asks court to order president to unblock them as the suit proceeds
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Press Statement
Groups Ask Senators To End Publication Delay of Former NCIS Agent's Book on Torture
Letter urges senators to ensure government's prepublication review process is not used to suppress dissenting voices
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Press Statement
Critics Blocked from President’s Twitter Account File Suit
Knight Institute's lawsuit alleges White House violated the First Amendment rights of seven plaintiffs blocked from @realDonald Trump account
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Analysis
@realDonaldTrump and the First Amendment
Answers to questions about the Knight Institute's position that President Trump cannot block critics on his @realDonaldTrump Twitter account
By Alex Abdo -
Press Statement
Knight Institute Demands that President Trump Unblock Critics on Twitter
Letter argues the president's @realDonaldTrump account is a designated public forum under the First Amendment
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Analysis
Censorship at the Border Threatens Free Speech Everywhere
The Trump administration's proposed vetting of social-media accounts at the border threatens First Amendment values and the very idea of open society
By Jameel Jaffer