Category: International

Bizarre, International, Media

The Legend of Luis Leon: The Media Embraces Another Anti-Ice Hoax

“When the legend becomes fact…print the legend.” Those words from an editor to a young reporter in “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” still appear to be the modus operandi of the media. That was demonstrated this week with the legend of Luis Leon after The Morning Call in Allentown, PA, printed yet another harrowing account of ICE agents “disappearing” an immigrant. According to a story quickly picked up by other eager outlets, the 82-year-old grandfather, a legal asylum holder, was roughed up and then deported to Guatemala. The problem is that there appears to be no proof supporting the story of the “family members” cited by the reporter. Continue reading “The Legend of Luis Leon: The Media Embraces Another Anti-Ice Hoax” →

Free Speech, International, Media, Politics

Reddit Now Requires Age Verification in UK to Comply with Nation’s Online Safety Act

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

The news and social media aggregation platform Reddit now requires its United Kingdom based users to provide age verification to access “mature content” hosted on its website. Users must prove they are eighteen years or older to read or contribute such content.

UK regulator Ofcom stated “We expect other companies to follow suit, or face enforcement if they fail to act.” Internet content providers who fail to adopt such measures can face fines of up to eighteen million pounds or ten percent of their worldwide revenue, whichever is greater.

Continue reading “Reddit Now Requires Age Verification in UK to Comply with Nation’s Online Safety Act” →

Criminal law, Free Speech, International

German Police Conduct Nationwide Crackdown on Citizens Accused of Online Speech Crimes
This month, the German Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) conducted a nationwide search for citizens accused of committing speech crimes.  The annual crackdown is part of Germany’s robust censorship and speech criminalization policies. As European Union censors seek to expand the reach of laws like the Digital Services Act (DSA), all Americans need see the existential threat to our most “Indispensable Right.”

Continue reading “German Police Conduct Nationwide Crackdown on Citizens Accused of Online Speech Crimes” →

Free Speech, International, Media

British Government: Western Cultural Concerns Are Signs of “Right-Wing Terrorist Ideology”

Free speech in the United Kingdom has long been in free fall, with expanding criminalization and regulation of speech. Much of this effort is carried out to combat disinformation or radicalism. The subjectivity of such “Prevent” standards is evident in a new media report that officers are being trained to look for “cultural nationalism,” including those people who are concerned that Western culture is under threat from mass migration. Such concerns are now viewed as indicative of “right-wing terrorist ideology.” Continue reading “British Government: Western Cultural Concerns Are Signs of “Right-Wing Terrorist Ideology”” →

Criminal law, Free Speech, International, Religion

British Blasphemy Prosecution: London Man Convicted After Burning Qur’an

We recently discussed how the United Kingdom has continued its erosion of free speech by pushing an effective blasphemy law. Now, a London man has been convicted of a “religiously aggravated public order offence.” Hamit Coskun, 50, a Turkish-born Armenian-Kurdish atheist was arrested after burning a Qur’an. Continue reading “British Blasphemy Prosecution: London Man Convicted After Burning Qur’an” →

Columns, Free Speech, International

Marco Rubio Declares War on the Global Censors

Below is my column in The Hill on the new policy of Secretary Marco Rubio to deny entry of foreign figures responsible for the censorship of American citizens. It would constitute the first meaningful response to the growing threat of Europe to free speech in the United States. In the very least, it signals that the United States is prepared to fight to preserve this “Indispensable Right.”

Here is the column: Continue reading “Marco Rubio Declares War on the Global Censors” →

International

Oh Canada: Teslas Banned from the International Car Show

If you go to the Vancouver International Auto Show, you can see all the new models. However, if you want to see a Tesla, you must go down the road to check out a car without a political litmus test. The organizers are just the latest group to join the mob retaliating against Elon Musk for working with the Trump Administration to remove waste and fraud in government through his DOGE program. What was most striking was the pathetic rationalization of the organization for engaging in political retaliation. Continue reading “Oh Canada: Teslas Banned from the International Car Show” →

Academia, Constitutional Law, Free Speech, International

Oregon Law Professor Accuses Oregon Law Review of Anti-Israeli Discrimination

The University of Oregon has long faced controversies over the alleged political bias on its campuses, including celebrating the career of a professor who physically attacked pro-life students as a model of activism. It has been criticized for monitoring off-campus speech and unconstitutionally censoring dissenting faculty. Now, Law Professor Ofer Raban is accusing the Law Review and school administrators of discriminating against an Israeli professor who was allegedly rejected for publication because of his association with an Israeli university. Continue reading “Oregon Law Professor Accuses Oregon Law Review of Anti-Israeli Discrimination” →

Free Speech, International

Back with a Vengeance: Nina Jankowicz Calls on Europeans to Oppose the United States

Nina Jankowicz, the former head of Biden’s infamous Disinformation Governance Board, was “back with a vengeance.” After the outcry over the board led to its elimination, Jankowicz did what many of the displaced disinformation experts have done: she peddled her dubious skills to Europeans and others like a wandering rōnin without a master. Now, Jankowicz has appeared before one of the most anti-free speech bodies in the world — the European Union — to call upon those 27 countries to fight against the United States, which she called a world threat. Continue reading “Back with a Vengeance: Nina Jankowicz Calls on Europeans to Oppose the United States” →

Courts, International

Judge to Trump Administration: I Feel Unfacilitated
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After the Supreme Court ruling in the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, I wrote a column disagreeing with the media coverage that claimed that the Trump Administration was ordered to return Garcia to the United States from El Salvador. The Administration mistakingly sent Garcia to a foreign prison. However, the Court only ordered that the Administration “facilitate” such a return, a term it failed to define. Now, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis is indicating that she feels unfacilitated, but it is unclear how a court should address this curious writ of facilitation.

Academia, Columns, International, Media

Biden’s Administration May Have Suppressed COVID Evidence Contradicting Chinese Claims

Below is my column in the Hill on recent disclosure that the Biden Administration may have withheld evidence contradicting the Chinese on the origins of COVID. Millions of Americans lost loved ones and would like to know who was responsible. It appears that our government and many experts were less motivated to find that answer.

Here is the column: Continue reading “Biden’s Administration May Have Suppressed COVID Evidence Contradicting Chinese Claims” →

Constitutional Law, International, Supreme Court

A Writ of “Facilitation”? Court Issues Curious Order in the Garcia Case
The media lit up yesterday with the order of the Supreme Court in the case of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, an accused MS-13 member mistakingly sent to El Salvador. I have previously said that the Administration should have brought back Garcia immediately and pushed for deportation under existing laws. Yet, in the order, the Court ordered the government to “facilitate” the return without stating what that means. Continue reading “A Writ of “Facilitation”? Court Issues Curious Order in the Garcia Case” →
Free Speech, International

German Editor Sentenced and Fined for Satirical Picture of Interior Minister

We previously discussed the case of  Deutschland-Kurier editor David Bendels who published a satirical meme of Interior Minister Nancy Faeser holding an altered sign that read “I hate freedom of speech.” Ironically, the sign was believable given the anti-free speech positions of Faeser and the German government. Faeser, however, went ballistic. In a country that routinely arrests people for their views, the matter was immediately turned into a criminal investigation. In a decision that could easily have been rendered in China or Iran, a Bamberg district court in Bavaria sentenced Deutschland-Kurier editor David Bendels to seven months in prison on probation and a fine of nearly sixty percent of his annual income. It is only the latest evidence of the free fall of free speech in Germany. Continue reading “German Editor Sentenced and Fined for Satirical Picture of Interior Minister” →

Congress, Free Speech, International

“Content Agnostic”: EU Official Denies Anti-Free Speech Policies in Bizarre Letter to Congress

Congressional SealAfter returning recently from speaking at the World Forum in Berlin, I testified in the Senate Judiciary Committee and warned about the building threat to free speech from the use of the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA). House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan has taken up the issue and received a letter from the EU’s Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Henna Virkkunen. The letter is both evasive and deceptive. Continue reading ““Content Agnostic”: EU Official Denies Anti-Free Speech Policies in Bizarre Letter to Congress” →