Free Speech Online
In this class, you will learn about laws that protect free speech online in the United States. You will also learn about censorship in other countries, and tools for evading censorship.
Preparation
First, read pages 193-198 and 215-222 from Blown to Bits. These pages are selected from Chapter 7: “You Can’t Say That on the Internet: Guarding the Frontiers of Digital Expression.”
Next, read these articles:
- The Democratic Paradox: The right to say anything has been a challenge to every democracy that has ever existed
- U.S. targets Russia with tech to evade censorship of Ukraine news
- Cloudflare explains why Kiwi Farms was its most dangerous customer ever
Prepare for our class discussion by making notes about what stood out to you, what you particularly agreed or disagreed with, things you had questions about, etc.
Optional: Consider also reading:
- RogerEbert.com’s Review of “The Most Hated Man on the Internet”
- “Hacker X”—the American who built a pro-Trump fake news empire—unmasks himself
- How Social Media Amplifies Misinformation More Than Information
- February 17, 1947: Voice of America begins broadcasts to Russia
- Legitimizing the Dark Web: The New York Times’s Tor Hidden Service
- How We Solved Fake News the First Time
In Class
Activity 1: Free Speech Discussion
In class, we will start by discussing the readings.
Activity 2: Censorship Around the World
You can complete this activity and the following activity either individually or with a partner.
Freedom House’s “Internet Freedom Status Map” compares restrictions on internet usage imposed by different countries.
Click on a country that is labeled “Not Free,” then click “View Report,” and read Freedom House’s detailed report for that country.
Activity 3: Tools for Evading Censorship
Read about Tor Browser, a powerful tool for evading censorship and preserving privacy online.
Next, install Tor Browser, and use it to anonymously read an article from The New York Times.
Finally, spend a few minutes using Tor Browser to browse the web. Try to get a sense for how the tool works.
Note: By default, The New York Times requires an account to read articles. Of course, logging into an account would reveal your identity, even if you were using Tor Browser. However, The New York Times also hosts a version of their website as a Tor Onion Service, and this version of the site doesn’t require an account to read articles. After loading the regular New York Times website in Tor Browser, you can switch to the onion service by clicking the purple “.onion available” button the URL bar.
Submit
Work on your submission individually.
Write at least 500 words total, answering the questions shown in the template below. You can incorporate ideas from the discussion, but all the writing for this assignment should be your own. Submit your response as a PDF.
Note: The template goes beyond what you completed in class. In particular, you should search for and read at least two news articles about Tor Browser or other tools for evading censorship. Look for articles that help you answer the question: “Do you think that censorship evasion tools are overall positive for society?”
Template
- Choose a country labeled “Not Free” by Freedom House, and summarize the restrictions on internet usage imposed by this country
- Link to two news articles about tools for evading censorship
- Briefly summarize these articles
- Answer the question: “Do you think that censorship evasion tools are overall positive for society?”
- Share any thoughts on how this activity could be improved in the future
Learning Goals
Students will:
- Consider ethical issues associated with free speech online
- Develop oral and written communication skills