Skip navigation

News & Commentary about Free Speech

Free Speech image
Protecting free speech means protecting a free press, the democratic process, diversity of thought, and so much more. The ACLU has worked since 1920 to ensure that freedom of speech is protected for everyone.
Learn more
A collage of black and white photos and document clippings, including a portrait of Eleanor Holmes Norton

Apr 13, 2020

From the Lunch Counter to the Supreme Court: Defending the First Amendment for All

From the Lunch Counter to the Supreme Court: Defending the First Amendment for All
A Black woman using a megaphone at a daytime Black Lives Matter march in Minneapolis, Minnesota in response to police shooting of 18-year-old Tania Harris.

Mar 5, 2020

Will SCOTUS Protect the Right to Protest?

Will SCOTUS Protect the Right to Protest?
Striking teaching assistants protest on the campus of Columbia University in New York.

Jan 30, 2020

The Government Is Trying to Strip Student Workers of the Ability to Unionize

The Government Is Trying to Strip Student Workers of the Ability to Unionize
A black book titled "Fight of the Century" edited by Ayelet Waldman and Michael Chabon, lies on a wooden table

Jan 21, 2020

"Fight of the Century" Looks at 100 Years of Landmark ACLU Cases

"Fight of the Century" Looks at 100 Years of Landmark ACLU Cases
A collage of images and papers, representing the Skokie Case

Jan 3, 2020

The Skokie Case: How I Came To Represent The Free Speech Rights Of Nazis

The Skokie Case: How I Came To Represent The Free Speech Rights Of Nazis
Congressman Devin Nunes

Dec 11, 2019

Devin Nunes’ Cow Has a First Amendment Right to Call Rep. Nunes a ‘Treasonous Cowpoke’

Devin Nunes’ Cow Has a First Amendment Right to Call Rep. Nunes a ‘Treasonous Cowpoke’
Collage of historical photos (including a large group of protestors near the Washington Monument) and the cover of a report that reads "May Day 1971, Order Without Law"

Dec 4, 2019

How the ACLU Won the Largest Mass Acquittal in American History

How the ACLU Won the Largest Mass Acquittal in American History
A demonstrator wearing a bandana on their face

Nov 26, 2019

America's Mask Bans in the Age of Face Recognition Surveillance

America's Mask Bans in the Age of Face Recognition Surveillance

Nov 20, 2019

The U.S. Government Tracked, Detained, and Interrogated Journalists. We’re Suing on Their Behalf.

The U.S. Government Tracked, Detained, and Interrogated Journalists. We’re Suing on Their Behalf.

Nov 15, 2019

Whistleblowers Are Public Servants. We Must Protect Them.

Whistleblowers Are Public Servants. We Must Protect Them.