Civil Liberties
1,364 Articles
Journalist Watchlist Raises Specter of Civil Rights-Era Secret Surveillance
Throughout his campaign and now his presidency, historians have drawn parallels between President Trump’s treatment of the news media and the Nixon White House’s efforts to…
Balancing the Law and Reporting: Reflections on the Assange Indictment and What It Means for Journalists
The superseding indictment of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has again sent First Amendment guardians to the ramparts, when what’s needed is a calm discussion of what threat…
The Snowden Effect, Six Years On
Six years ago, the world was introduced to a previously unknown government contractor who revealed the National Security Agency (NSA) was conducting an unparalleled level of warrantless…
Why the Christchurch Call to Remove Online Terror Content Triggers Free Speech Concerns
In deciding whether to endorse the Christchurch Call, the question for U.S. policymakers was whether the text essentially called on the U.S. or others to act inconsistently with…
CTRL+HALT+Defeat: State-Sponsored Surveillance and the Suppression of Dissent
A new lawsuit in Israeli court seeks accountability for the export of malicious spyware used for digital surveillance of human rights defenders, journalists, and political dissidents.…
Canada Considers Most Far-Reaching Intell Reforms in Decades
The proposed bill strikes a healthy balance between facing up to new cyber-threats and ensuring accountability and oversight.
Trump’s `Fake News’ Tirades Embolden Arab Leaders’ Crackdowns
President Donald Trump’s discourse on fake news has created a dangerous environment, and not only for journalists working in the United States. Autocrats in countries of the…
JFK Records Suit Tests CIA Secrecy on Assassination
Morley v. CIA has wound its way through the courts for 16 years, and revealed some juicy nuggets along the way. The plaintiff, who is the biographer of two top CIA operations officers,…
Split Over Compelled Decryption Deepens With Massachusetts Case
Encryption is as omnipresent as computers, tablets, and smartphones. Yet the Supreme Court has not provided guidance on the constitutional implications of compelling a suspect…
CBP’s New Social Media Surveillance: A Threat to Free Speech and Privacy
U.S. Customs and Border Protection's efforts to map out the networks and activities of American activists and journalists through link analysis and social media monitoring pose…
The ‘NO BAN’ Act: A Needed Check on Presidential Decision-Making
The NO BAN Act ensures that presidential orders to bar or restrict people from entering the United States are the product of proof rather than prejudice.
To Battle Russian Disinformation, Ukraine Mimics … Russia
In the five years since the conflict between Ukraine and Russia began, several Ukrainian initiatives have been introduced to reduce the influence of Russian disinformation and…