First Amendment Dangers in 2026
Our free speech rights are under attack and in great danger next year. Here are three areas where we must be very concerned:
1. A bipartisan effort is underway to end Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. They claim they are doing it to "rein in Big Tech" but it will actually harm our free speech online. It would cause companies to take down content if they fear being sued because of it, and also allow people to sue over online content that they don't like. The first targets that this fascist government will go after will be the online organizing of protests against the government and any content that is anti-Trump. We can't let these bills be passed! In the House it is Bill 6746 and in the Senate it is Bill 3546. Call and write your members of Congress and tell them NO!
2. Filming police activity is protected by the First Amendment as long as you don't interfere with them (which would be obstruction of justice). ICE has been carrying around their own film crew in order to create the propaganda that you see being posted on their social media channels. They are big mad at anyone else filming them because they know there would be a huge negative public reaction when the public sees the excessive use of force they use and their brutal tactics to instill terror in the immigrant communities. Recently, the DOJ is claiming that filming police amounts to "domestic terrorism" and DHS Kristi Noem said that it "sounds like obstruction of justice." We must not let them take away our best means of holding them accountable. Keep recording them!
3. You may have heard about the State Department revoking the visas of five Europeans and tolling them they "were not welcome on American soil." Four of the five were already out of the country, but Imran Ahmed (CEO of the US-based Center for Countering Digital Hate) is a US permanent resident living in the country and his wife and kids are US citizens. Our government claims they were part of an effort to censor online content. But what did they do? They were each part of companies who encourage Big Tech to regulate the posting of illegal content, hate speech, and child sexual abuse material. You can see why the Trump administration is so offended by those efforts. Thankfully, Ahmed immediately sued them and Federal District Judge Vernon Broderick issued a temporary restraining order which prevents officials from arresting, detaining, or transferring him before he has his case heard. A conference is scheduled between the parties on December 29th.
The National Security Presidential Memo 7 and Attorney General Pam Bondi's DOJ enforcement memorandum makes it clear they are targeting all voices that are anti-Trump by designating us as "domestic terrorists" and members of Antifa. I think y'all can see how the dangers to free speech are rising and these events are intersecting each other. We must remain vigilant and continuously fight to protect our rights, especially because it's through the First Amendment that we are able to preserve all of our other rights. ✊