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Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is buying Twitter, and he has pledged to make some changes. Musk says he will loosen the rules restricting free speech on the social media platform. Supporters of his plan argue that the First Amendment protects all types of speech, even when it’s hateful. They believe that unrestricted free speech is key to a healthy democracy. Opponents say that unfettered free speech on social media contributes to misinformation, allows dangerous bullying, and promotes deeper divisions among Americans. Listen to learn more about Musk’s future plans and then debate: Should social media platforms restrict free speech?
Story Length: 3:34
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March 4, 2022
7:30
Radio and television broadcasts are overseen by the FCC, a federal agency that sets guidelines and ensures compliance. Podcasts, on the other hand, have no government oversight. With millions of podcasts now available, some say that should change. They argue that, without regulation, podcasters are spreading misinformation on a range of important topics, confusing the public and poisoning public discourse. But some say that government regulation could limit podcasters’ creativity and potentially infringe upon their right to free speech. Listen to hear about a Spotify podcaster who has spread false information and then debate: Should podcasts be regulated?
Read MoreDecember 13, 2019
3:39
Incidents involving racist, sexist, anti-Semitic, and homophobic speech are on the rise on college campuses throughout the U.S. But the First Amendment protects free speech, and colleges want to create spaces where students and professors can explore all kinds of ideas, even potentially offensive ones. Listen to learn about the recent rash of hate crimes at one college and a professor’s inflammatory comments at another, and then debate: Should free speech be protected on college campuses?
Read MoreNovember 22, 2019
4:26
Social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook disagree on what to do with political ads. Twitter recently banned all political advertising, saying it could not fact-check the claims made by politicians and did not want to spread misinformation. But defining what counts as a political ad is tricky. Facebook continues to run political ads without fact-checking them, citing free speech. Critics claim that political ads on social media can be particularly misleading. Listen to hear an expert discuss these issues and then debate: Should political ads be allowed on social media?
Read MoreNovember 17, 2017
3:56
Like the United States, Germany is grappling with fake news and hate speech and what to do about it. Offenses are banned under law, but on the Internet what is fake and what is hate speech is not always clear. The German parliament recently passed a controversial law imposing big fines on social media companies that fail to remove illegal, racist or slanderous posts. German ministry officials are anticipating a large volume of complaints about censorship. Listen to this story about social media and offensive posts, and the debate: Should social media sites be fined for not removing fake news and hate speech?
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