

How Foreign Speech Restrictions Affect American Free Expression | Reimagining American Institutions | Hoover Institution
May 1, 2025
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Cartoons Spur Free Speech Focus
- Jacob Mchangama shares how the 2005 Danish cartoons controversy spurred his deep interest in free speech.
- This experience shifted him from taking free speech for granted to advocacy globally.
Internet Freedom Optimism Fades
- Global internet freedom optimism in the 1990s has faded due to political upheavals and social media challenges.
- Foreign governments now push for stricter speech controls on multinational platforms, impacting U.S. free expression.
Foreign Laws Shape U.S. Platforms
- American social media platforms adopt global speech rules influenced by foreign legal pressures.
- Companies prefer broad restrictions to avoid fines and national bans, which restricts speech more than U.S. law would.