Hacker News with Generative AI: Free Speech

Marc Andreessen Demands Criminal Charges for Advertisers' Free Market Decisions (techdirt.com)
Marc Andreessen, the influential venture capitalist, is exhibiting a startling disconnect between his stated beliefs in free markets and free speech, and his recent authoritarian threats against those who disagree with him.

Free Speech, Venture Capital, Censorship

11 points by hn_acker 6 days ago | 5 comments

Threads Bans Anyone for Mentioning Hitler, Even to Criticize (techdirt.com)
Quick test: should saying “Hitler, not a good guy” cause you to be banned from your social media account? Seems simple enough. But apparently not for Meta, the largest social media company on the planet.

Social Media, Censorship, Meta, Free Speech

23 points by type0 14 days ago | 19 comments

No, Section 230 Doesn't 'Circumvent' the First Amendment (techdirt.com)
When it comes to Section 230, we’ve seen a parade of embarrassingly wrong takes over the years, all sharing one consistent theme: the authors confidently opine on the law despite clearly not understanding it.

First Amendment, Law, Online Platforms, Free Speech

11 points by hn_acker 15 days ago | 4 comments

We're in a Free Speech Golden Age (ymeskhout.com)
One of the grievances I’m perennially confused by are right-wing concerns about free speech suppression. I recently had an extensive 2.5 hour discussion with Hunter Ash, someone who is voting for Trump explicitly because he believes Kamala Harris (and the Dems in general) present a particularly pernicious threat to freedom of expression, while a second Trump presidency promises to safeguard it.

Politics, Free Speech, Censorship

7 points by Tomte 21 days ago | 7 comments

Elon Musk Silent on China Protests Despite Being Free Speech Warrior (2022) (newsweek.com)
Over the last several years, tech giant and richest man in the world Elon Musk has shaped himself into a crusader for free speech, going as far as to broker a deal to purchase the social media platform Twitter for its practice of banning users trafficking in hate speech and conspiracy theories.

Elon Musk, Free Speech, China, Social Media, Censorship

9 points by peutetre 24 days ago | 0 comments

Musk gives random petition signer a $1M check (businessinsider.com)
Elon Musk gave a $1 million check to a man who signed his petition to support free speech and the right to bear arms — and he's not stopping there.

Elon Musk, Philanthropy, Free Speech, Gun Rights

6 points by geox 31 days ago | 1 comments

Tattoo artist's trial win is a loss for bodily autonomy, free speech (2022) (copyrightlately.com)
An Illinois federal jury awarded Catherine Alexander only $3,750 in damages for Take-Two Interactive and WWE’s use of tattoos she made for Randy Orton in their video games, but the implications of the ruling go much further.

Legal Issues, Body Art, Free Speech, Video Games

7 points by hn_acker 49 days ago | 1 comments

Twitter blocks EFF tweet that criticized bogus takedown of previous tweet [2019] (arstechnica.com)
Twitter and Starz have given us a new example of how copyright enforcement can easily go overboard.

Twitter, Copyright Law, Censorship, Free Speech

14 points by 3np 56 days ago | 3 comments

With Bluesky, the social media echo chamber is back in vogue (ft.com)
With Bluesky, the social media echo chamber is back in vogue

Social Media, Social Networks, Censorship, Free Speech

19 points by NavinF 57 days ago | 23 comments

Writers and Academics Applaud Brazil's Censorship in Open Letter (reason.com)
An example of eroding support for free speech around the world can be seen in a recent public letter by academics and writers from several countries supporting Brazil's government in its battle to ban the X social media platform and punish Brazilians who evade restrictions.

Free Speech, Censorship, Brazil, Social Media, Politics

5 points by Bostonian 62 days ago | 2 comments

Hong Kong Man Faces Jail over 'Seditious' T-Shirt (barrons.com)
A 27-year-old man faces up to several years in jail for sedition, after pleading guilty Monday to wearing a protest T-shirt that prosecutors say flouts Hong Kong's new national security law.

Hong Kong, Law, Politics, Free Speech

3 points by ksec 66 days ago | 0 comments

Judge Rejects yet Another Attempt by Texas to Police Online Speech (techdirt.com)
Everything’s bigger in Texas, including the legislature’s willingness to pass laws that clearly violate the First Amendment rights of websites.

First Amendment, Law, Politics, Censorship, Free Speech

41 points by hn_acker 75 days ago | 9 comments

Let's talk about free speech after Pavel Durov's indictment (washingtonpost.com)

Free Speech, Russia, Politics, Social Media

6 points by trtkaj 84 days ago | 6 comments

Elon Musk has become the biggest hypocrite on free speech (theguardian.com)

Free Speech, Elon Musk, Social Media

15 points by wslh 101 days ago | 2 comments

Elon Musk is being ridiculous. Companies are free to choose where to advertise (theguardian.com)

Elon Musk, Advertising, Social Media, Free Speech, Business

21 points by jethronethro 106 days ago | 16 comments

Platforms Have First Amendment Right to Curate Speech (eff.org)