Eugene Volokh and Jane Bambauer speak with Eric Heinze about how the digital age has transformed the meaning and limits of free expression. The discussion ranges from Britain’s recent Lucy Connolly case—involving online incitement and hate speech—to the philosophical and legal contrasts between the American Brandenburg standard and the U.K.’s more interventionist approach. Heinze argues that democracies must rethink free speech in an era dominated by opaque, powerful platforms like Twitter and Facebook, where risk, harm, and accountability are far harder to define. They debate whether governments—or tech companies—should bear responsibility for regulating speech online, and what “freedom” really means when algorithms, not citizens, shape public discourse.
For more information about the series, visit: https://www.hoover.org/publications/free-speech-unmuted?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=fsu_youtube
Watch more episodes regarding the latest US law & policy: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKruweaZqDNffkQppHrMVpYhJmDpkJc1Z
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