Category «Free Speech»

White House Prepares Executive Order Targeting ‘Woke AI’

WSJ via MSN no paywall + alternate free link: “White House officials are preparing an executive order targeting tech companies with what they see as “woke” artificial-intelligence models, their latest effort to go after diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, people familiar with the matter said. The order would dictate that AI companies getting federal contracts …

Subjects: AI, Censorship, Civil Liberties, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research

Using Signal groups for activism

Micah Lee: “Things are heating up. Millions of people are taking to the streets against Trump’s rising authoritarianism. Communities around the US are organizing to defend against ICE raids, to protest Israeli genocide, for mutual aid, and for other forms of fighting fascism. Signal can help people safely organize in all of these contexts. Signal …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, E-Records, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Privacy

First Amendment: Government Retaliation for Protected Expression

CRS Legal Sidebar – “The Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment provides that “Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech.” The clause applies to any government action, whether federal, state, or local. Individuals may be able to challenge violations of their free speech rights in a variety of …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Legal Research

Masked, Armed and Forceful: Finding Patterns in Los Angeles Immigration Raids

Bellingcat: “Armed and masked men leaping out of unmarked vehicles. Latino men taken from their places of work or while waiting for the bus. Street vendors roughly tackled to the ground and forcefully held down. Since early June, the streets of Los Angeles have borne witness to frequent and aggressive immigration raids that have seen people …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Congress, Courts, Free Speech, Government Documents, Legal Research

DHS Tells Police That Common Protest Activities Are ‘Violent Tactics’

Wired: “The Department of Homeland Security is urging local police to consider a wide range of protest activity as violent tactics, including mundane acts like riding a bike or livestreaming a police encounter, WIRED has learned. Threat bulletins issued during last month’s “No Kings” protests warn that the US government’s aggressive immigration raids are almost …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Free Speech, Internet, Legal Research, Social Media

In the fight against foreign information manipulation, the US can’t afford to disarm

Atlantic Council: “As its adversaries wage an information war, the United States is retreating from the front lines. Washington has dismantled key programs for countering foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Foreign Influence Task Force. This leaves a dangerous vacuum in the US national defense posture. If left …

Subjects: AI, Censorship, Civil Liberties, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Defense, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research

Once it was mostly a taco website. Now it’s covering L.A. ICE raids.

Washington Post via MSN – no paywall: “It all happened so quickly. On June 6, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents descended upon Los Angeles, raiding businesses and arresting more than 40 people. Once word got out on social media, protests began and L.A. Taco’s six-person news team headed out to the streets. Investigative reporter Lexis-Olivier …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Social Media

Law360 mandates reporters use AI “bias” detection on all stories

NiemanLab: “A new policy at Law360, the legal news service owned by LexisNexis, requires that every story pass through an AI-powered “bias” detection tool before publication. The Law360 Union, which represents over 200 editorial staffers across the 350-person newsroom, has denounced the mandate since it went into effect in mid-May. On June 17, unit chair …

Subjects: AI, Censorship, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research

Justice Dept. Explores Using Criminal Charges Against Election Officials

The New York Timesl: “Senior Justice Department officials are exploring whether they can bring criminal charges against state or local election officials if the Trump administration determines they have not sufficiently safeguarded their computer systems, according to people familiar with the discussions. The department’s effort, which is still in its early stages, is not based …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, E-Government, E-Records, Free Speech, Government Documents, Legal Research

Project 2025 Tracker – many goals and objectives met quickly

“Project 2025 Tracker began as a humble spreadsheet created by /u/rusticgorilla, combined with /u/mollynaquafina‘s vision for making this information accessible to everyone through a dedicated website. What started as a passion project by two Redditors has grown into a community-driven resource, powered by people like you who believe in the importance of transparent, detailed analysis.” …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, E-Government, E-Records, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Libraries

A.I. Is Starting to Wear Down Democracy

The New York Times no paywall – “Since the explosion of generative artificial intelligence over the last two years, the technology has demeaned or defamed opponents and, for the first time, officials and experts said, begun to have an impact on election results. Free and easy to use, A.I. tools have generated a flood of …

Subjects: AI, Censorship, Civil Liberties, E-Records, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Internet, Legal Research

Trump Anti-Press Social Media Tracker

“Few modern presidents have waged a more visible or sustained campaign against the press than Donald Trump. From the launch of his political career, Trump has used social platforms — first Twitter, then Truth Social — to attack, belittle and discredit journalists, news outlets and the media as a whole. To better understand the scope …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Social Media