The Debate on Anonymous Speech and Internet Age Verification

Jeff Kosseff is an associate professor of cybersecurity law in the United States Naval Academy’s Cyber Science Department. He is the author of four books including his most recent, “Liar in a Crowded Theater: Freedom of Speech in a World of Misinformation.” He has also written books about anonymous speech and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

Timestamps

0:00 Introduction

2:30 Jeff’s focus on the First Amendment 

4:27 What is Section 230?

9:30 “Liar in a Crowded Theater”

16:27 What does the First Amendment say about lies?

19:35 What speech isn’t protected? 

21:27 The Eminem case 

27:33 The Dominion lawsuit 

38:44 “The United States of Anonymous”

46:39 The impact of age verification laws 

49:43 “The Twenty-Six Words that Created the Internet”

58:40 What’s next for Jeff? 

1:01:35 Outro 

Show Notes 

Podcast Transcript 

Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association (2011)

FIRE’s guide to Section 230

Nikki Haley on social media anonymity

Schenck v. United States (1917)

“The Twenty-Six Words That Created the Internet” by Jeff Kosseff

NBC News: “Judge allows lawsuit against Snap from relatives of dead children to move forward”

“The United States of Anonymous: How the First Amendment Shaped Online Speech” by Jeff Kosseff

United States v. Alvarez (2012)

Transcript