Yep, I support and defend free speech.
But... free speech does not necessarily include lies, distortions, offensive material, on any microphone or platform of one's choosing.
Here is a primer on free speech.
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Freedom of expression is recognized as a human right under article 19 of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and recognized in
international human rights law in the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Article 19 of the UDHR states that "everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference" and "everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice". The version of Article 19 in the ICCPR later amends this by stating that the exercise of these rights carries "special duties and responsibilities" and may "therefore be subject to certain restrictions" when necessary "[f]or respect of the rights or reputation of others" or "[f]or the protection of
national security or of public order (order public), or of public health or morals".
[3]
Freedom of speech and expression, therefore, may not be recognized as being absolute, and common limitations or boundaries to freedom of speech relate to
libel,
slander,
obscenity,
pornography,
sedition,
incitement,
fighting words,
classified information,
copyright violation,
trade secrets,
food labeling,
non-disclosure agreements, the
right to privacy,
dignity, the
right to be forgotten,
public security, and
perjury. Justifications for such include the
harm principle, proposed by
John Stuart Mill in
On Liberty, which suggests that: "the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others."
[4]
The idea of the "offense principle" is also used in the justification of speech limitations, describing the restriction on forms of expression deemed offensive to society, considering factors such as extent, duration, motives of the speaker, and ease with which it could be avoided.
[4] With the evolution of the
digital age, application of freedom of speech becomes more controversial as new means of communication and restrictions arise, for example the
Golden Shield Project, an initiative by Chinese government's
Ministry of Public Security that filters potentially unfavourable data from foreign countries.
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YouTube is not a "state actor" bound by the First Amendment, the court ruled.
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