Ep. 266: How foreign censors target American speakers

About this episode

This episode discusses how foreign governments regulate online speech and the implications for free speech in the U.S. and beyond.

Governments around the world have increasingly sought to regulate online speech well beyond their borders. If global platforms are forced to comply with the world's most restrictive laws, whose speech standards win? And what happens to a free and open internet when governments apply their censorship rules across borders? Today we are joined by Preston Byrne, an attorney and expert in international law and emerging technologies. He has spent nearly two decades working at the intersection of law, tech, and policy, and he now serves as counsel to a coalition of internet publishing platforms suing the United Kingdom's internet regulator. Follow him on X and Substack . Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:15Preston's background 16:46 What do foreign censorship laws actually target? 22:35 The UK's Online Safety Act 29:39 Free speech cultures: US vs. UK 40:48 The GRANITE Act and protecting Americans from foreign censorship 1:01:15 Outro Don't miss the free speech event of the year! Get your tickets and learn more about the Soapbox Conference here . Read the transcript here . Enjoy listening to the podcast? Donate to FIRE today and get exclusive content like member webinars, special episodes, and…

People in this episode

Host: FIRE

Guest: Preston Byrne

Topics covered

• foreign censorship
• free speech
• online regulation
• international law
• internet policy
• UK Online Safety Act

Keywords

• censorship
• free speech
• international law
• online safety
• internet regulation
• Preston Byrne

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: FIRE, United Kingdom, Substack, Soapbox Conference, thefire.org

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