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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.

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
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
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
39 votes
3 answers
9k views

What is the legal distinction between Twitter banning Trump and Trump blocking individuals?

For reference, this recent NPR article contains all of the information that inspired this question. The lawsuits referenced in the above article center on then-President Trump blocking individual ...
Geoffrey's user avatar
  • 481
33 votes
4 answers
11k views

Does a private citizen in the US have the right to make a "Contact the Police" poster?

Imagine the following hypothetical situation. Assume the location is in the United States. Mary had a credit card stolen by a suspect. The suspect used the credit card at a store. The manager of the ...
ninja star's user avatar
29 votes
3 answers
10k views

Can I put up a joke sign on my private land that reads "Active Minefield"?

I own a few acres (in the USA) and want to put up a joke sign that says "Active Minefield". A friend mentioned that is illegal. I am not so sure, ergo looking for opinion or references. I ...
Marc's user avatar
  • 437
28 votes
2 answers
12k views

Can people criticize the Imperial Family in Japan?

Can people criticize the Imperial Family in Japan? I can't find a case or article about law, people in prison, or deportation of a foreigner for criticizing the Imperial Family.
Châu's user avatar
  • 391
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
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
22 votes
4 answers
11k views

Is it really legal to knowingly lie in public as a public figure?

It's recently been revealed (by himself, even) that the famous business man and Shark Tank member Kevin O'Leary actually does own Bitcoin, and that he bought them in 2017. Ever since, until recently, ...
Helmold's user avatar
  • 261
20 votes
9 answers
8k views

Do other countries have free speech protections similar to the First Amendment, and if so, how do those work?

A friend claimed the First Amendment was unnecessary, and mentioned that other countries tended to get along well without it. I realized I didn't actually know much about how freedom of speech or ...
Z. Kelvin's user avatar
  • 217
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
19 votes
6 answers
6k views

Can legal action reasonably be taken against someone unsavory for endorsing your product/company?

Advertisers don't want their product/company associated with certain people/content. Which is why a lot of ads don't play on more controversial content (e.g. demonetized videos on Youtube). But what ...
chausies's user avatar
  • 4,171

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