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Questions tagged [freedom-of-speech]

The right to communicate without fear of government sanction or censorship. While this right is implied in some countries, it may not be explicit in all of them. For the U.S. see also "first-amendment" tag.

11 votes
3 answers
13k views

When is it illegal to lie?

It occurred to me the other day that (in America) I could write book claiming that soda cures cancer, and there would be no legal consequence to that—free speech. But if I sold soda and claimed that ...
adam.baker's user avatar
  • 1,225
-4 votes
2 answers
706 views

Why do some laws make saying "Heil Hitler" illegal when other laws allow freedom of political speach?

In the German Federal Republic is illegal to say "Heil Hitler" which is basically a restriction of laws relating to one's freedom of opinion, freedom of speach and political freedom. Why ...
Francisco Bytheway's user avatar
23 votes
4 answers
5k views

In the USA, can treason be protected by the First Amendment?

Mildred Gillars was convicted of treason September 10, 1948. As I understand it, first Amendment protects unpopular speech, but is confined and not unlimited. The classic example is that one can not ...
gatorback's user avatar
  • 7,169
63 votes
4 answers
49k views

Is it illegal to run away from a police officer in a way that provokes them, in the US?

So I know this is very silly and obviously hypothetical, but I've wondered about it for a while. Let's say you aren't doing anything (else) illegal, you don't have anything illegal on you, and you ...
CuriousDawg's user avatar
14 votes
2 answers
1k views

If I live in the US can I be prosecuted for answers describing illegal activities?

The internet allows for some level of anonymity and occasionally you will find posts that give detailed descriptions of how to perform an activity that is illegal. Examples may include how to ...
James Jenkins's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
961 views

Are private social-media companies violating our Free Speech rights?

There's been a lot of talk about social media companies like Facebook, and their occasional removal of user content. This removal is unilateral and not subject to any sort of judicial review, so it's ...
Harper - Reinstate Monica's user avatar
40 votes
5 answers
11k views

Does Elon Musk have any grounds for legal action against people who track his plane?

Most airplanes, including Elon Musk's private jet, are required by law to broadcast their location throughout a flight in a well-documented, unencrypted digital format called ADS-B. This system is a ...
Someone's user avatar
  • 17.1k
-8 votes
3 answers
566 views

I was banned from an online forum. Which law would enable me to force admins to restore my account and issue an apology? (and pin my post to homepage) [closed]

For example - Twitter is very pro freedom of speech. Some online forum - their home - their rules - their Terms & Conditions. I do not like the fact that I was banned, without breaching any rules. ...
Silly mistakes in the past's user avatar
40 votes
2 answers
6k views

What is the legal status of "warrant canaries"?

A warrant canary is a repeated claim by an individual or organization that they have not been served any warrants with an attached gag order. The idea is that you can say whatever you like if you have ...
Michael Burge's user avatar
27 votes
4 answers
15k views

Would a giant "F*** BIDEN" flag mounted on a truck be first amendment protected?

I recently saw one of those trucks with flags mounted on them. The usual kind: big truck, 4'x6' flags, usually supporting Don't Tread On Me, Donald Trump, MIA, etc. Or the actual American flag. They ...
Stay-at-home-dad's user avatar
24 votes
2 answers
7k views

University prohibits professors from testifying

Context: ABC news has published: University of Florida Prohibits Professors from Testifying The University of Florida is a State College (not a private college) and has indicated the University is a &...
gatorback's user avatar
  • 7,169
20 votes
2 answers
5k views

Is it legal under Czech and EU legal system to punish people with prison sentences for publicly expressing their political views?

This site claims that (my emphasis): The Czech Republic's chief prosecutor has warned that expressing support for Russia’s attack on Ukraine could be a criminal offence, punishable by imprisonment. [....
Glory to Russia's user avatar
20 votes
6 answers
137k views

When is cursing illegal in the U.S.?

For example, I've heard before that it's actually illegal to swear at a police officer (I've also heard that's true in the U.K. as well, although that's not my question). However, what counts as "...
Parthian Shot's user avatar
12 votes
2 answers
790 views

Under which German laws is it illegal to mock foreign rulers?

I read this (to me) strange article in the Washington Post saying a German comedian would go on trial in Germany for mocking the Turkish president. It appears from the article that it's this whole ...
Fiksdal's user avatar
  • 347
10 votes
2 answers
2k views

What is the current standard with regards to "fighting words"?

Since Street v. New York, the Supreme Court has significantly narrowed the grounds on which speech can be considered "fighting words" and thus could legally be banned. In Collin v. Smith, ...
Ryan_L's user avatar
  • 3,565

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