The Future of Free Speech

The Future of Free Speech Reaffirming free expression as the bedrock of free and thriving societies through actionable research, empowering tools, and principled advocacy.

The Future of Free Speech is an independent, non-partisan think tank located at Vanderbilt University. We work to restore a resilient global culture of free speech in the digital age through knowledge, research, and advocacy.

06/12/2026

A global movement helped free him and his colleagues from prison.

But at the , .greste.1 reflected on the limits of solidarity and why we can’t rely on it alone to preserve press freedom.
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🎥Watch the full discussion on the YouTube channel : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbvhqcnJjmE
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🎟️Get your tickets to the to hear from more experts, journalists, and dissidents on the hottest issues affecting free speech: https://www.globalfreespeechsummit.com/tickets-2026

06/11/2026

“In authoritarian regimes, independent journalism doesn't make sense because it has never existed.”
At , Alsu Kurmasheva explained why authoritarian governments often assume every journalist serves a political agenda— and why that puts a target on their backs.

📽️Learn more and watch the full panel on the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbvhqcnJjmE

🔗Tickets to the are going fast! Get yours while they’re still available: https://www.globalfreespeechsummit.com/tickets-2026

Every day on social media, Americans insult, make derogatory remarks, and *gasp* use profanity to criticize their leader...
06/11/2026

Every day on social media, Americans insult, make derogatory remarks, and *gasp* use profanity to criticize their leaders. When a Georgian man made a TikTok post calling local officials “mother f**kers,” he was fined.

That fine was upheld by the European Court of Human Rights.

At Persuasion, Jacob Mchangama explains how this ruling is only one example of Europe’s departure from liberal democratic values and how institutions meant to safeguard fundamental freedoms are abandoning them.

🔗 Read it here: https://www.persuasion.community/p/the-european-court-of-human-rights

06/10/2026

Some journalists had family members arrested in their home countries because of their reporting in the U.S.
At , Bay Fang argued that when democracies abandon their commitment to press freedom, authoritarian governments don't hesitate to fill the gap.

📽️Watch the full talk on the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbvhqcnJjmE

🔗Get your tickets to the now while spots are still available: https://www.globalfreespeechsummit.com/tickets-2026

Ending anonymity. Expanding speech bans. State-ordered takedowns. These are pillars of the Internet in China, Russia, an...
06/10/2026

Ending anonymity. Expanding speech bans. State-ordered takedowns. These are pillars of the Internet in China, Russia, and Iran.

Increasingly, they have become features of European policy. In Foreign Affairs, Jacob Mchangama examines how Europe lost the plot on online speech.

Once built, censorship infrastructure is hard to tear down — today’s European leaders may not always have the reins of power as populist movements surge in the polls.

🔗Read why European democracies need to change course before it’s too late: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/guest-pass/redeem/JJ8II8EZx00

The FCC is considering warning labels for TV content involving gender identity. In USA Today, Angele Latham cites Ashkhe...
06/09/2026

The FCC is considering warning labels for TV content involving gender identity.

In USA Today, Angele Latham cites Ashkhen Kazaryan’s filing to the FCC, which argues that this proposal allows the government to stigmatize certain viewpoints through labeling schemes ⬇️

🔗 Find out why the proposal conflicts with the First Amendment and read the full piece: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2026/06/02/nashville-fcc-transgender-content-warnings-free-speech/90319291007/

📂 Read Ashkhen’s submission to the FCC here: https://futurefreespeech.org/the-future-of-free-speechs-comment-to-the-fcc-on-inquiry-into-warning-labels-for-lgbtq-content/

06/08/2026

“It’s probably been the administration most hostile towards free speech since the Red Scare.”

In an interview with Lukas Leuzinger of Schweizer Monat, Jacob Mchangama evaluates whether the Trump administration fulfilled its promise to strengthen free speech.

The obvious answer is no. But Jacob also explains why the First Amendment has been critical when speech that the government dislikes comes under attack from multiple fronts.

Watch the full interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzgKITgC3Eo

Control the word, control the world. Join Jacob Mchangama in Nashville on June 17 for a lively discussion on why free sp...
06/05/2026

Control the word, control the world.

Join Jacob Mchangama in Nashville on June 17 for a lively discussion on why free speech is the prerequisite for liberty, with powerful historical examples.

Brought to you by AIER’s Harwood Salons Speaker Series.

Register here while there are still spots left: https://aier.org/event/the-first-freedom/

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