Ep. 266: How foreign censors target American speakers

Governments around the world have increasingly sought to regulate online speech well beyond their borders. 

If global platforms are forced to comply with the world's most restrictive laws, whose speech standards win? And what happens to a free and open internet when governments apply their censorship rules across borders?

Today we are joined by Preston Byrne, an attorney and expert in international law and emerging technologies. He has spent nearly two decades working at the intersection of law, tech, and policy, and he now serves as counsel to a coalition of internet publishing platforms suing the United Kingdom's internet regulator. Follow him on X and Substack. 

Timestamps: 

00:00 Intro  

02:15Preston's background

16:46 What do foreign censorship laws actually target?

22:35 The UK's Online Safety Act

29:39 Free speech cultures: US vs. UK

40:48 The GRANITE Act and protecting Americans from foreign censorship 

1:01:15 Outro

 Don't miss the free speech event of the year! Get your tickets and learn more about the Soapbox Conference here.

Enjoy listening to the podcast? Donate to FIRE today and get exclusive content like member webinars, special episodes, and more. 

If you became a FIRE Member through a donation to FIRE at thefire.org and would like access to Substack's paid subscriber podcast feed, please email [email protected].