Want to receive this digest in your inbox? To subscribe, simply click here and choose DARE: Daily Alert on Rights and Expression from the list.

Trump attorney Rudolf Giuliani reveals that Trump reimbursed his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, the $130,000 paid to adult movie star Stormy Daniels to buy her silence during the campaign. Cambridge Analytica, the UK-based firm owned and run by Mercers and Bannon and that funneled reams of targeting data from Facebook for use by Trump and others in the 2016 campaign, files for bankruptcy in the wake of the disclosures. Newspaper and media organizations launch awareness campaign for World Press Freedom Day. -Suzanne Nossel, Chief Executive Officer

 

The most pressing threats and notable goings-on in free expression today

U.S.

Giuliani Says Trump Reimbursed Cohen for Stormy Daniels Payment
Rudy Giuliani said that President Trump paid back his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, the $130,000 in hush money that was used to pay off Stormy Daniels. Disclosure exposes Trump for lying repeatedly and raises campaign finance issues.
CNN

Cambridge Analytica to File for Bankruptcy After Misuse of Facebook Data
In a statement posted to its website, Cambridge Analytica said the controversy had driven away virtually all of the company’s customers, forcing it to file for bankruptcy in both the U.S. and Britain.
NEW YORK TIMES

UNESCO and News Organizations Honor World Press Freedom Day with Global Call to Action
The global campaign encourages each participating news organization to rally behind a radical idea: that news organizations should actively encourage their audience to not just engage with their platform but to read, listen, and watch others as well.
CISION

This Former Tea Party Activist is Teaching People to Spot Fake News
Felicia Cravens, an active member of conservative circles and founder of the Houston Tea Party Society, has been on the lookout for fake profiles, overseas spammers, and other forms of misinformation targeting her fellow conservatives.
BUZZFEED

South Carolina Passes Bill to Fight Anti-Semitism on Campus
South Carolina has become the first U.S. state to pass legislation to fight anti-Semitism on campus, after supporters of the measure said it would help colleges battle discrimination amid growing numbers of such incidents nationwide.
REUTERS

 
Global

Tech Giants Feel the Squeeze as Xi Jinping Tightens His Grip
As President Xi starts his second term, the Chinese government, which once viewed the internet primarily as a threat to its stranglehold on information, is harnessing big tech companies’ capital and knowledge to realize its broader goals for the country.
NEW YORK TIMES

Journalists Everywhere are Facing an Increasingly Hostile Environment
One of the trends that ARTICLE 19 has observed is that most journalists are facing increasingly hostile environments. The threats they face vary in nature, from censorship, legal threats, online abuse, arrests, violent attacks, and even murder.
HUFFINGTON POST

Peppa Pig, Unlikely Rebel Icon, Faces Purge in China
Over 30,000 videos of the pink-snouted British character abruptly vanished from Douyin, searches for the term “Peppa Pig” yield no results, and the hashtag #PeppaPig also appears to have been banned.
NEW YORK TIMES

Universities which ‘No-Platform’ Controversial Speakers will Face Government Intervention
Sam Gyimah, the UK’s higher education minister, warned that universities must stamp out their “institutional hostility” to unfashionable views as he prepares to issue new guidance on free speech. It will be the first government intervention in 30 years.
TELEGRAPH

China Puts 2008 Quake Victims’ Families Under House Arrest Ahead of Anniversary
Authorities in Sichuan have placed families who lost children in the devastating earthquake of 2008 under house arrest to prevent them from taking their complaints to the ruling Chinese Communist Party in Beijing.
RADIO FREE ASIA

DARE is a project of PEN America’s #LouderTogether campaign, bringing you a daily-curated roundup of the most important free expression-related news from the U.S. and abroad. Send your feedback and story suggestions to [email protected]