The Global War on Free Speech

Jacob Mchangama and Jeff Kosseff are co-authors of The Future of Free Speech, a new book examining what they describe as a global “free speech recession.”

In this episode, Mchangama and Kosseff talk with Nick Gillespie about why democracies are increasingly embracing speech restrictions once associated with authoritarian regimes, how fears about misinformation and child safety are reshaping internet policy, and why both the political left and right have grown more skeptical of free expression. They discuss the rise of government pressure on social media companies, the future of anonymous speech and Section 230 protections, and why they believe counter-speech, transparency, and decentralized online platforms offer a better alternative to censorship.

This interview was taped in front of a live audience at an event in New York City.

0:00—What is the free speech recession?

7:36—Speech after the collapse of communism

15:06—How important is technology for escaping censorship?

22:38—EU hate speech laws

27:55—Sullivan v. Times decision

30:19—Afroman’s legal victory

34:53—Is there a crackdown on political speech in America?

39:22—Jawboning

42:44—Social media censorship

51:40—Solutions to reverse the free speech recession