Does a cat stand on two legs or four?&nbsp; The answer to that question may tell you all you need to know about the government involving itself in social media content moderation. On today’s show, we cover the latest tech policy developments involving the Federal Communications Commission, Federal Trade Commission, AI regulation, and more. &nbsp; Guests: , FIRE’s lead counsel, tech policy. , a resident technology and innovation senior fellow at the R Street Institute &nbsp; - , a technology policy senior fellow at the CATO Institute &nbsp; Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:30 Section 230 06:55 FCC and Section 230 14:32 Brendan Carr and “faith-based programming” 28:24 Media companies’ settlements with the Trump 30:24 Brendan Carr at Semafor event 38:37 FTC and social media companies 48:09 AI regulations 01:03:43 Outro &nbsp; Enjoy listening to the podcast?  and get exclusive content like member webinars, special episodes, and more. If you became a  through a donation to FIRE at  and would like access to Substack’s paid subscriber podcast feed, please email sotospeak@thefire.org. &nbsp; Show notes:   “” FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez via X (2025)   “” New York Post (2025)      “” Brendan Carr via Project 2025 (2022)   “” Adam Kovacevich via X (2025)   “” Adam Thierer via X (2025)   “” Brendan Carr via X (2025)   “” Semafor (2025)   “” National Telecommunications and Information Administration (2020)   “” New York Post (2025)   “” FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson via X (2025)   “” FTC (2025)   “” (2024)   “” FIRE (2025)   “” FIRE (2025)   “” Adam Thierer via X (2025)&nbsp;&nbsp;   “” Mike Godwin (1995)   “” FIRE (2024)   “” Ithiel de Sola Pool (1984)

Ep. 237: A tech policy bonanza! The FCC, FTC, AI regulations, and more

First Amendment lawyer  and immigration lawyer  join the show to discuss the arrest, detention, and possible deportation of green card holder Mahmoud Khalil. Timestamps:&nbsp; 00:00 Intro 00:53 Latest updates on Khalil 02:51 First Amendment implications 06:08 Legal perspectives on deportation 11:54 Chilling effects on free expression 21:06 Constitutional rights for non-citizens 24:03 The intersection of free speech and immigration law 27:02 Broader implication of immigration policies 37:51 Outro Enjoy listening to the podcast?&nbsp; and get exclusive content like member webinars, special episodes, and more. If you became a  through a donation to FIRE at  and would like access to Substack’s paid subscriber podcast feed, please email sotospeak@thefire.org. Show notes: - “​​” Secretary of State Marco Rubio via X (2025) - “’ President Donald J. Trump” The White House via X (2025) - “” PBS NewsHour (2025) - “” U.S. Department of State (2025) - “” Habeeb Habeeb via X (2025)

Ep. 238: On Mahmoud Khalil

We explore how censorship is impacting institutions — from universities to law firms to the Maine House of Representatives. Timestamps:&nbsp; 00:00 Intro 01:40 Federal government cuts Columbia’s funding 16:57 Updates on the Mahmoud Khalil case 27:01 Ed Martin’s Georgetown letter 34:59 Trump targeting law firms 55:01 Maine House censure of Rep. Laurel Libby 01:03:37 Outro Guests: - , FIRE’s legal director - , FIRE’s supervising senior attorney - , FIRE’s director of campus rights advocacy&nbsp; Enjoy listening to the podcast?  and get exclusive content like member webinars, special episodes, and more. If you became a  through a donation to FIRE at  and would like access to Substack’s paid subscriber podcast feed, please email sotospeak@thefire.org. Show notes: - “” U.S. Department of Justice (2025) - . U.S. Department of Health &amp; Human Services, U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Government Services Administration (2025) - “” The Wall Street Journal (2025) - “” Columbia University (2025)&nbsp;&nbsp; - “” FIRE (2025) - “” U.S. Department of Education (2025) - “” FIRE (2025) - “” FIRE (2025) - “​​” Secretary of State Marco Rubio via X (2025) - “’ President Donald J. Trump” The White House via X (2025) - “” PBS NewsHour (2025) - “” U.S. Department of State (2025) - “” Habeeb Habeeb via X (2025) - “” National Archives (1798) - . (2025) -  (2025) - “” The Wall Street Journal (2025) - “” The White House (2025) - “” The White House (2025) - “” The White House (2025) - “” The CATO Institute (2025) - “” President Trump via TruthSocial (2025) - “” The New York Times (2025) - “” Maine House of Representatives (2025) - “” FIRE (2025) - “” Sen. Kennedy via X (2025) - “” Karl Popper (1945) - “” Mike Godwin (1995)

Ep. 239: Columbia University, Mahmoud Khalil, DEI, law firms, and more

We travel from America to Europe, Russia, China, and more places to answer the question: Is there a global free speech recession?&nbsp; Guests: - : FIRE senior scholar, global expression - : FIRE senior fellow - : FIRE senior fellow Timestamps:&nbsp; 00:00 Intro 03:52 Free speech global surveys 07:49 Freedom of expression deteriorating 11:43 Misinformation and disinformation 18:05 Russian state-sponsored media 24:55 Europe’s Digital Services Act 29:26 Chinese censorship 34:33 Radio Free Europe 54:57 Mohammad cartoons 01:04:14 Outro Enjoy listening to the podcast?  and get exclusive content like member webinars, special episodes, and more. If you became a  through a donation to FIRE at  and would like access to Substack’s paid subscriber podcast feed, please email sotospeak@thefire.org. Show notes: -  Sarah McLaughlin (2025)&nbsp; - “” So to Speak (2022) - “” James Kirchick (2022) - “” The Future of Free Speech (2025) - “” V-Dem Institute (2025) -  World Economic Forum (2025) - “” Washington Free Beacon (2013) -  Jacob Mchangama (2025) -  (2022) -  Sarah Wynn-Williams (2025) - “” The New York Times (2025) -  The Washington Post (1990) -  AP News (2025)

Ep. 240: Is there a global free speech recession?

Our guests today signed onto a statement by a group of 18 law professors who opposed the Trump administration’s funding threats at Columbia on free speech and academic freedom grounds.&nbsp; Since then, Northwestern, Cornell, Princeton, Harvard, and nearly 60 other colleges and universities are under investigation with their funding hanging in the balance, allegedly for violations of civil rights law.&nbsp; To help us understand the funding threats, Harvard’s recent lawsuit against the federal government, and where universities go from here are: -  — distinguished teaching professor at The University of Texas at Austin School of Law -  — distinguished professor of law and dean at UC Berkeley Law Timestamps:&nbsp; 00:00 Intro 02:50 Govt’s approach with Harvard and Columbia 05:39 Title VI violations 11:30 Anti-Semitism on campuses 23:02 Viewpoint diversity in higher education 27:12 Affirmative action and the Supreme Court 35:52 Title IX under the Obama and Biden administrations 42:32 Bob Jones University and tax-exempt status 45:53 Future of federal funding in higher education 54:08 Outro Enjoy listening to the podcast?  and get exclusive content like member webinars, special episodes, and more. If you became a  through a donation to FIRE at  and would like access to Substack’s paid subscriber podcast feed, please email sotospeak@thefire.org. Show notes:    David Rabban (2024)    Erwin Chemerinsky (2022)   “” The New York Review (2025)    (1957)    (1967)    (2025)   “” Alan Garber (2025)    (2025)   “” The New York Times (2025)   “” Claire Shipman (2025)    (2023)   “” FIRE (2025)    (1945)

Ep. 241: The government’s money, the government’s rules?

The co-authors of “The Canceling of the American Mind” discuss its new paperback release and where cancel culture stands a year and a half after the book’s original publication. -  —&nbsp;   President and CEO of FIRE   Co-author of "The Canceling of the American Mind"   -  —&nbsp;   New York Post columnist&nbsp;   Co-author of "The Canceling of the American Mind"   Timestamps:&nbsp; 00:00 Intro 04:35 Origin of book 07:56 Definition of cancel culture 17:55 Mike Adams, canceled professor 23:51 Alexi McCammond, former Teen Vogue editor-in-chief 31:57 Echo chambers on social media 35:09 Trump administration ‘canceling’ law firms and higher ed institutions 44:02 Rikki’s libertarian political identity&nbsp; 51:02 Is cancel culture dead? 54:26 Outro Enjoy listening to the podcast?  and get exclusive content like member webinars, special episodes, and more. If you became a  through a donation to FIRE at  and would like access to Substack’s paid subscriber podcast feed, please email . Show notes:   “” (paperback, 2025) by Greg Lukianoff and Rikki Schlott   “” (2024) by Musa al-Gharbi

Ep. 242: Is cancel culture dead?

Heather Mac Donald discusses the Trump administration’s free speech record amidst its battles with higher ed, mainstream media, law firms, and more. Mac Donald is Thomas W. Smith Fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Her most recent book is “” Timestamps:&nbsp; 00:00 Intro 01:54 Mac Donald’s personal experience with being shouted down 05:34 Amy Wax, Carole Hooven, and other cancelled professors 11:04 Mac Donald’s support and concern on Trump’s free speech approach 23:41 Rümeysa Öztürk situation 32:08 The problems of campus bureaucracy 36:40 Trump’s executive orders on law firms 43:14 Trump’s attacks on AP News, CBS, ABC, Paramount, and other media companies 59:54 Outro . Enjoy listening to the podcast?  and get exclusive content like member webinars, special episodes, and more. If you became a  through a donation to FIRE at  and would like access to Substack’s paid subscriber podcast feed, please email sotospeak@thefire.org. Show notes:   “” (2025) Heather Mac Donald   “” (2025) President Trump via Truth Social   “” (2025) U.S. Department of State&nbsp;   “” (2025) The New York Times  “” (2024) Straight Arrow News

Ep. 243: Heather Mac Donald on Trump and free speech

We discuss the Supreme Court backing Maine lawmaker Laurel Libby, NPR filing suit against Trump, a years-long dispute over a student wearing a “there are only two genders” shirt, the Secret Service investigation into James Comey, the latest on Harvard vs. Trump, and more. Guests:  — chief counsel, FIRE   — former senior counsel, Ballard Spahr Timestamps:&nbsp; 00:00 Intro 03:34 Censure of Rep. Libby 07:02 Supreme Court shadow docket 13:53 NPR lawsuit against Trump admin 19:07 Differences between NPR and Voice of America cases 30:50 Middle school student wearing “there are only two genders” shirt 48:54 Recent investigation into former FBI Director James Comey 55:46 Latest updates with Harvard and Trump 01:05:27 Outro Enjoy listening to the podcast?  and get exclusive content like member webinars, special episodes, and more. If you became a  through a donation to FIRE at  and would like access to Substack’s paid subscriber podcast feed, please email sotospeak@thefire.org. Show notes:    Lee Levine’s previous appearance on the show (2018)   “” NBC (2025)   “” NPR (2025)   “” The White House (2025)    Justia (2024)    FIRE (1969)   “” The New York Times (2025)   “” Alan Garber (2025)    (2025)

Ep. 244: Censoring lawmakers, T-shirts, and seashells

We’re checking in on the latest news in tech and free speech. We cover the state AI regulation moratorium that failed in Congress, the ongoing Character A.I. lawsuit, the Federal Trade Commission’s consent decree with Omnicom and Interpublic Group, the European Union’s Digital Services Act, and what comes next after the Supreme Court’s Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton decision. Guests:  — lead counsel for tech policy, FIRE  — internet policy counsel, TechFreedom Timestamps:&nbsp; 00:00 Intro 02:38 State AI regulation moratorium fails in Congress 20:04 Character AI lawsuit 41:10 FTC, Omnicom x IPG merger, and Media Matters 56:09 Digital Services Act 01:02:43 FSC v. Paxton decision 01:10:49 Outro&nbsp; Enjoy listening to the podcast?  and get exclusive content like member webinars, special episodes, and more. If you became a  through a donation to FIRE at  and would like access to Substack’s paid subscriber podcast feed, please email sotospeak@thefire.org. Show notes:   “” Paul Sherman (2025)    United States District Court (2025)    FIRE (2025)   “” Daphne Kelly (2021)   “” FTC (2025)

Ep. 246: Tech check — AI moratorium, Character AI lawsuit, FTC, Digital Services Act, and FSC v. Paxton

Throughout his career, former Congressman  has been a strong advocate for freedom of speech, writing that “The value of free speech comes from encountering views that are unorthodox, uncommon, or unaccepted…Free speech is a barren concept if people are limited to expressing views already widely held.” In this special live episode, filmed in front of 200+ high schoolers attending FIRE’s Free Speech Forum at American University in Washington, D.C., Amash takes questions from the audience and discusses his upbringing, his political career, the state of American politics, and how the Constitution guided his work in Congress. Earlier this year, Congressman Amash  FIRE’s Advisory Council. Timestamps:&nbsp; 00:00 Intro 03:30 Upbringing 06:21 Law school 13:15 Time in Congress 15:59 Why Amash publicly explained each of his votes 26:30 On being the first libertarian in Congress 30:57 Connection between his principles and free speech 33:10 Trump’s first impeachment 42:48 Dealing with pushback from constituents 46:03 Term limits for members of Congress? 55:25 How high schoolers can pursue a career in politics 59:45 Has there been a regression in First Amendment protections? 01:07:32 What Amash is up to now 01:08:06 Outro Enjoy listening to the podcast?&nbsp; and get exclusive content like member webinars, special episodes, and more. If you became a  through a donation to FIRE at  and would like access to Substack’s paid subscriber podcast feed, please email sotospeak@thefire.org.

Ep. 247: Justin Amash

"So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast" takes an uncensored look at the world of free expression through personal stories and candid conversations.

New tracks tagged ##free speech #law #First Amendment