Jacob Mchangama on the Global Free Speech Recession

About this episode

Yascha Mounk and Jacob Mchangama discuss the global decline of free speech and the challenges faced by democracies and dictatorships in maintaining online speech freedom.

Yascha Mounk and Jacob Mchangama discuss how democracies and dictatorships alike have turned against online speech freedom. Jacob Mchangama is the Executive Director of The Future of Free Speech and a research professor at Vanderbilt University, as well as a Senior Fellow at The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. His latest book, with Jeff Kosseff, is The Future of Free Speech: Reversing the Global Decline of Democracy's Most Essential Freedom. In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Jacob Mchangama discuss why we’re experiencing a global free speech recession despite technological advances, how hate speech laws are being weaponized against their original intent, and whether democracies can resist the authoritarian playbook for controlling online discourse. If you have not yet signed up for our podcast, please do so now by following this link on your phone. Email: leonora.barclay@persuasion.community Podcast production by Mickey Freeland and Leonora Barclay. Connect with us! Spotify | Apple | Google X: @Yascha_Mounk & @JoinPersuasion YouTube: Yascha Mounk, Persuasion LinkedIn: Persuasion Community Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Yascha Mounk

Guest: Jacob Mchangama

Topics covered

• free speech
• democracy
• online discourse
• hate speech laws
• authoritarianism

Keywords

• free speech
• democracy
• online speech
• hate speech laws
• authoritarian control

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Future of Free Speech, Vanderbilt University, The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression

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

More episodes of The Good Fight

• Rebecca Haw Allensworth on How Professional Licenses are Rigging the Game for Insiders · June 9, 2026 · 49 min
• Steve Stewart-Williams on Sex Differences and Human Nature · June 6, 2026 · 60 min
• Jeremiah Johnson on Why Gen Z Isn’t Actually Doomed · June 2, 2026 · 49 min
• Kathryn Paige Harden on How Genetics Shapes Human Behavior · May 30, 2026 · 1h 4m
• H.W. Brands on the Making of George Washington · May 26, 2026 · 1h 17m
• James Traub on Why American Classrooms Are Failing Democracy · May 23, 2026 · 54 min