The new shout of “fire in a crowded theater?”

https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/hashtag-handcuffs-the-global-rise-of-online-speech-policing/

Hashtag Handcuffs: The Global Rise of Online Speech Policing

In November, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung launched a crackdown on so-called hate speech online, claiming that such speech “crosses the boundary of freedom of expression.” Punishments can include fines and up to seven years in prison. 

Unfortunately, South Korea’s not alone in its push to police what ordinary people can say on social media. Other countries that have recently passed laws to curtail citizens’ speech include Belarus,  China, Turkey, Russia, Poland, Thailand, Brazil, Syria, and India. Like South Korea, these countries punish such speech harshly: in Turkey, citizens can face imprisonment of up to three years for a retweet, and in Poland prison sentences can run up to five years for an online insult. 

Even countries that have historically respected freedom of speech and individual rights are backsliding: Germany recently cracked down on hate speech online, France has fined citizens for insulting its leaders, and the United Kingdom—once a bastion of Enlightenment ideals—now arrests 30 citizens per day for making offensive posts or comments online. In 2024, British subject Jordan Plain was sentenced to eight months in prison for filming himself making racist gestures and comments.

Even the United States is starting to backslide. When Larry Bushart posted a meme about a Charlie Kirk vigil in Perry County, Tennessee, local law enforcement arrested him. He spent 37 days in jail. 

As the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE)’s Matthew Harwood argues, we are entering a “global free speech recession.”