United States

At a glance At a glance
United States

973 articles
Supporters of former U.S. President Donald Trump fly a flag with a symbol from the group QAnon as they gather outside the U.S. Capitol on the day of the riot, Washington, DC., 6 January 2021, Win McNamee/Getty Images

Trump lit the fuse, but anti-media sentiment among his supporters may outlast him

Even with Trump now out of the White House – and banned from Twitter – animosity toward the press among some Trump supporters and far-right extremist groups is unlikely to diminish, reporters and researchers of extremism told CPJ.

A young woman consults her smartphone for the next address to visit while canvassing for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden before the general election, Landsdowne, Pennsylvania, 1 November 2020, Mark Makela/Getty Images

EFF’s top recommendations for the Biden administration

EFF prepared a transition memo for the incoming Biden administration, outlining their recommendations for how it should act to protect everyone’s civil liberties in a digital world.

Chairman Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, uses his gavel during a hearing titled "Financial Industry Regulation: the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency", Washington, DC, 13 June 2018, Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call

New OCC rule is a win in the fight against financial censorship

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency finalized its Fair Access to Financial Services rule, which will prevent banks from refusing to serve entire classes of customers that they find politically or morally unsavory.

A TV journalist reports outside the Capitol Building where US National Guard troops have been deployed, Washington, DC, 19 January 2021, Yegor AleyevTASS via Getty Images

Free expression and the first 100 days

An agenda for the incoming administration.

A TV reporter broadcasts in front of military vehicles near the U.S. Capitol, Washington, DC., 14 January 2021, Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images

CPJ safety advisory: Covering the build-up to the U.S. presidential inauguration

Tensions remain high in the U.S. in the build-up to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20, 2021.

A Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) "Green" police officer stops a dump truck driver and hands him a ticket, New York, U.S., 26 May 2009, EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP via Getty Images

So-called “consent searches” harm our digital rights

Learn more about how the police evades the Fourth Amendment’s requirement to obtain a warrant.

A vigil in honour of journalist Jamal Khashoggi two years after his assassination, 22 October 2020, Prachatai/Amnistía Internacional Argentina, Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

CPJ urges US court to reverse Khashoggi ruling, order US intelligence community to disclose information on documents related to duty to warn

The U.S. intelligence community should confirm or deny the existence of documents that may provide information on its duty to warn “Washington Post” columnist Jamal Khashoggi of threats to his life before his murder, or provide more detailed explanations of their refusal to do so.

Beyond platforms: Private censorship, Parler, and the stack

Private companies have strong legal rights under U.S. law to refuse to host or support speech they don’t like. But that refusal carries different risks when a group of companies comes together to ensure that certain speech or speakers are effectively taken offline altogether.

A burnt U.S. flag at the Capitol Hill riot, Washington, D.C., 9 January 2021, photographer Marco Verch, https://foto.wuestenigel.com/the-deadly-capitol-hill-riots/, Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

FAQs on free speech and the Capitol Hill insurrection

Last week’s lawless insurrection on Capitol Hill raised a series of questions about free speech, the First Amendment, and protest rights. Should presidents be banned from Twitter and Facebook? Should tech companies refuse to host social networks sites like Parler? What defines “hate speech” and “incitement”?

CPJ urges respect for United States press freedom, journalist safety

“We are gravely concerned by today’s attack on American institutions, including the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., where journalists as well as lawmakers are at risk”.

EFF to FinCEN: Stop pushing for more financial surveillance

EFF submitted comments to the Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) opposing the agency’s proposal for new regulations of cryptocurrency transactions.

Oakland Privacy and the people of Vallejo prevail in the fight for surveillance accountability

In December, Solano Superior Court Judge Bradley Nelson upheld the gift of surveillance accountability that the California State legislature had provided state residents when they passed 2015’s Senate Bill 741 (Cal. Govt. Code § 53166).

COVID-19 and surveillance tech: Year in review 2020

Location tracking apps. Spyware to enforce quarantine. Immunity passports. Throughout 2020, governments around the world deployed invasive surveillance technologies to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.

UK judge denies Julian Assange bail after she rejects US extradition request

The judge ruled against Assange’s release, stating that he had an “incentive to abscond,” and “as a matter of fairness” she needed to give the US government the chance to pursue an appeal, which it has indicated it intends to do.

On Section 230, one of the most important laws protecting free speech online

Even though it’s only 26 words long, Section 230 doesn’t say what many think it does. EFF explains what, exactly, people are getting wrong about the primary law that defends the Internet.

“Future of journalism” at stake as extradition decision looms in Assange case

Extradition proceedings against Wikileaks publisher Julian Assange are set to conclude on 4 January, when a decision is expected. RSF again condemns the targeting of Assange for his contributions to journalism and calls for his immediate release.