Obscenity. Prurient interest. Pornographic. These words and phrases are frequently used to justify censorship in the US. We’ve seen these terms pop up in state and federal legislation nationwide recently. What do they actually mean? We will take a short…
The relationship between censorship and art is as old as art itself. Throughout history, politicians and others in positions of power have attempted to suppress the voices of artists to stop dissent, revolution, and cultural transformation. One modern iteration of…
Book bans have become commonplace in every state over the past two years. Bans on books with LGBTQ+ characters and storylines that tackle tough topics like sexual assault and racism and are written by marginalized authors are often the most…
Let’s talk about the final decision in Woodhull Freedom Foundation v. The United States of America, our lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA). And let’s talk about what the ruling means for pending and…
This past Spring saw a renewed interest in Congress to legislate the Internet. Much of the proposed legislation claimed to help keep kids safe online. Senators stated that social media negatively impacts youth's mental health, and their new legislation would…
In 2023, we’ve seen unbelievable attacks on drag, and at least one state has succeeded in banning drag in public spaces. These bans are censorship in action and a direct violation of our human right to free expression, as expressed…
Pornographic content is some of the most popular content online - it’s also the most rigidly censored. However, most porn is protected by the First Amendment and is a valid form of free expression. For this program of our Censorship…
Remember the good ol’ days of the internet when we busted conversations about sexual expression wide open? It was a time when people chatting online (remember that dial tone from AOL?) could connect with like-minded individuals and leave their earthly…
This program was part of our 2023 Censorship Series and originally aired in March 2023. Our panelists discuss censorship in education. Dr. Ashley White presents her research on the dangers of censorship in higher education. She is then joined by…
The First Amendment is supposed to protect the speech of Americans from government interference, and has long been upheld as the cornerstone of our democracy. However, recent history has shown us that free speech is under attack in America. From…