Should Twitter ban Trump? GOP lays plans to revive bill that would legitimize religious and anti-LGBT discrimination under the guise of First Amendment protections. -Suzanne Nossel, Executive Director

 

DARE: Daily Alert on Rights and Expression

PEN America’s take on today’s most pressing threats to free expression

U.S.

Twitter Has the Right to Suspend Donald Trump. But It Shouldn’t.
As a corporation, Twitter is under no First Amendment obligation to let Trump use the service. And yet Twitter is no position, now, to suspend @realDonaldTrump.
NEW YORK TIMES

Donald Trump follows anti-media campaign with anti-media transition
Morale in the media ranks dipped again Monday night, with the Trump team’s announcement that the president-elect’s press conference that had been scheduled for later this week—which would have been his first since winning the election last month—was postponed until next month.
CNN

Republicans confident they will pass anti-LGBT bills after Donald Trump becomes president
The First Amendment Defense Act, which prevents people with anti-LGBT views being discriminated against, will be reintroduced and could be signed into law under Mr Trump.
THE INDEPENDENT

Opposition to “offensive” speech on campuses will burn dissidents
On college campuses — nominally bastions of free inquiry, robust debate, constructive lessons in failure, and unexpected discovery — there exists a prevailing controversy over the scope and meaning of free speech.
VOX

Gab: Free speech haven or alt-right safe space?
It’s become the go-to social network for an extreme group of activists who have been chucked off of Twitter. So is Gab.ai a free speech alternative or just an alt-right safe space?
BBC

 
Global

Pro-Assad journalist remanded in custody after insulting Turkish officials
Pro-Assad journalist Hüsnü Mahalli has been remanded in custody on Tuesday for insulting Turkish state officials on his social network account.
DAILY SABAH

South African journalists receive death threats for testifying at inquiry
Journalists who testified before a parliamentary ad hoc committee probing the fitness of the SABC board to hold office have received death threats following their damning testimonies on Monday.
THE CITIZEN

Video bloggers will now need a license to broadcast in China
Video bloggers in China must register their real identities before publishing anything online from January 1, the Ministry of Culture announced Wednesday. All presenters would be compelled to comply with the new regulations.
FIRST POST

Ethiopia’s media blackout patterns show deliberate timing, targets
At least 16 news sites and the WhatsApp messaging app were blocked in Ethiopia between June and October, in what human rights organizations say is evidence of deliberate and systematic government measures to crush dissent.
AFRICA TIMES

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