Slate Daily Feed Amicus | Free Speech Is The Enemy of Free Speech, Apparently
Sep 20, 2025
Join law professor Mary Anne Franks, an expert in free speech and civil rights, as she and Dahlia Lithwick untangle the contradictions of free-speech rhetoric in America. They discuss how powerful figures exploit free-speech norms while enacting censorship. Franks highlights the intersection of government, media pressure, and tech influence on public discourse. They explore the chilling effects of debate tactics on academic freedom and the risks of feelings-driven legal narratives in a polarized society.
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Freedom Rhetoric Used To Mask Suppression
- The Trump administration frames heavy-handed speech controls as restoring free speech while actually suppressing dissent.
- Mary Anne Franks says this rhetoric masks a concerted assault on First Amendment protections and civil liberties.
Censorship Claims Created A Pretext
- The conservative critique of 'censorship' was weaponized to justify government intervention against private actors.
- Franks explains critics created a pretext to coerce platforms and institutions under the guise of protecting speech.
Govt Coercion Of Platforms Violates Rights
- Government pressure on private media is itself a First Amendment issue when it coerces corporate choices.
- Franks cites legal doctrine and recent cases that bar officials from strong-arming intermediaries to silence speech.
