Freedom of Speech: Background, Issues and Regulations

The Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment prohibits the government from "e;abridging the freedom of speech,"e; but does not define what that freedom entails. Chapter 1 provides a broad overview of the main categories of protected and unprotected speech in First Amendment jurisprudence. Chapter 2 examines the scope of protection extended to freedom of speech in thirteen selected countries. In particular, the chapter focuses on the limits of protection that may apply to the right to interrupt or affect in any other way public speech. It also addresses the availability of mechanisms to control foreign broadcasters working on behalf of foreign governments. Chapter 3 highlights the First Amendment and examines those places where the right to free speech is being stifled and sometimes even silenced by government. Chapter 4 begins by outlining the current legal framework governing social media sites' treatment of users' content, focusing on the First Amendment and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 (CDA).