Civil Liberties

Coverage of key developments, including in concise “What Just Happened” expert explainers, legal and policy analysis, and more. Check back frequently for updates.

To challenge authoritarianism, platforms should embrace a role that balances expressive rights and responsibilities in a pro-democratic way.

A new code marks a serious commitment by states to regulate digital surveillance tools, but stops short of agreeing to hard legal standards.

A discussion with Rebecca Hamilton about the use of State power and how to identify linkages between individual developments and broader trends in press freedom and beyond.

Tracking the use of State power requires systematically identifying linkages between individual developments and broader trends. This graphic offers one method.

In fighting rampant gang violence, President Bukele has turned El Salvador into even more of a lawless, opaque State.

Disappearance of vital resources from government websites exposes a fragile ecosystem in which accountability mechanisms have broken down.

A federal judge halted the shutdown of VOA, citing violations of administrative law and congressional authority, not press freedom.

The arrest of the Turkish president's main rival, Istanbul Mayor İmamoğlu, sharpens the contradictions of the peace effort with the Kurds.

When a court finally addresses the merits of the rule, there are strong procedural and substantive grounds to challenge its implementation.

Congress should update the Privacy Act to prevent DOGE from violating U.S. international rights obligations.

A new series on what is at stake — and what can be done — to ensure government information remains publicly accessible and properly stored.