The Good Fight Jacob Mchangama on the Global Free Speech Recession
Apr 21, 2026
Jacob Mchangama, Executive Director of The Future of Free Speech and research professor, explains why online speech is under pressure worldwide. He discusses how dictators adapted to the internet, the rise and use of hate speech laws, shifting political coalitions for tech regulation, and risks of identity-based policies like age verification and ending anonymity.
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Free Speech Lost Its Democratic Halo
- The internet expanded speech but democratic attitudes shifted from optimism to suspicion after events like Brexit and 2016 elections.
- Jacob Mchangama links this shift to seeing online speech as a Trojan horse that allows enemies to chip away at democracy.
Hate Speech Laws Tightened In Democracies
- Hate speech laws expanded across democracies in the digital age, often targeting online expression more aggressively than before.
- Mchangama cites Canada's recent expansion against Holocaust denial and broader bills that further restrict speech.
Jewish Activist Arrested Under German Hate Speech Law
- Israeli-born activist Iris Hefetz was arrested in Berlin for placards reading 'stop the genocide in Gaza' under Germany's hate speech enforcement.
- The case shows Germany convicts even Jewish critics of Israeli policy, illustrating laws' overreach.
