Ep. 269: Is free speech declining worldwide?

About this episode

The episode discusses the global decline of free speech and its implications for democracy with experts Jacob Mchangama and Jeff Kosseff.

Free speech has long been a cornerstone of democratic society. But today, its principles face increasing pressure. Around the world, governments are expanding speech restrictions in the name of combating misinformation, hate speech, and extremism, while new technologies make it easier to monitor and control public discourse. Many free speech advocates warn that these efforts risk eroding democracy itself. Joining the show to discuss this "global free speech recession" is Jacob Mchangama, a senior fellow at FIRE and the founder and executive director of The Future of Free Speech at Vanderbilt University, and Jeff Kosseff, a senior fellow at The Future of Free Speech. Their new book is " The Future of Free Speech: Reversing the Global Decline of Democracy's Most Essential Freedom ." Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:07 Why write this book? 04:40 Where free speech stands in America today 05:53 What is a "global free speech recession"? 11:22 Free speech's high point and what changed 18:56 Election misinformation, disinformation, and the role of AI 34:40 The EU's Digital Services Act and the UK's Online Safety Act 40:00 Are democracies starting to adopt more restrictive speech laws? 43:52…

People in this episode

Guests: Jacob Mchangama, Jeff Kosseff

Topics covered

• free speech
• democracy
• global recession
• speech restrictions
• misinformation
• technology
• legislation

Keywords

• free speech
• democracy
• global recession
• misinformation
• hate speech
• AI
• Digital Services Act
• Online Safety Act

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: FIRE

Books & works: The Future of Free Speech: Reversing the Global Decline of Democracy's Most Essential Freedom

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