Litigation
The Institute defends the freedoms of speech and of the press through strategic litigation designed to have a meaningful impact on the law, on public policy, and on public opinion. We litigate cases that have the potential to establish important new legal principles concerning the system of free expression, to influence the practices of powerful actors in that system, and to raise public awareness about contemporary structural threats to that system. We focus especially on complex and challenging cases that relate to new technology, including new communications platforms, and we favor cases that afford us the opportunity to draw on insights generated by our research program.
Our litigation prioritizes cases in our three focus areas, Free Speech & Social Media, Transparency & Democracy, and Privacy & Surveillance.
Featured
LATEST NEWS & ANALYSIS
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Deep Dive
New York’s Gun Law Goes Too Far: Requiring concealed-carry applicants to register their social media accounts is unconstitutional
This dragnet collection of social media information has a chilling effect on applicants’ exercise of their right to speak and associate with others online
By Anna Diakun -
Press Statement
Incarcerated Individuals and Advocacy Groups Challenge California County’s Policy of Digitizing and Destroying Jail Mail
Knight Institute, Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Social Justice Legal Foundation say that the policy violates the rights to free speech and privacy
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Deep Dive
Knight Institute Weighs in on Gonzalez v. Google in RE-COMMITTED Q&A
Knight Institute Senior Counsel Wilkens joins other amici discussing the importance of Gonzalez v. Google for the future of the internet
Our Docket
Showing 1–10 of 55
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FOIA Lawsuit
Knight Institute v. Department of State
A FOIA lawsuit seeking records related to foreign state efforts to influence platforms’ content moderation
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Amicus Brief
Krasno v. Mnookin
A case challenging the suppression of speech on a public university’s social media accounts
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Lawsuit
A.B.O. Comix v. San Mateo County
A lawsuit challenging the digitization and destruction of mail in San Mateo County’s jails
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Lawsuit
National Association of Immigration Judges v. Neal
A lawsuit challenging a government policy silencing immigration judges
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Amicus Brief
Gonzalez v. Google LLC
A Supreme Court case addressing whether Section 230 shields internet platforms for their use of recommendation algorithms.
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Amicus Brief
Twitter, Inc. v. Taamneh
A Supreme Court case addressing when online platforms can be held liable for aiding and abetting terrorism.
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FOIA Lawsuit
Knight Institute v. Department of State
A FOIA lawsuit seeking records relating to the Biden administration’s review of the use of social media identifiers in visa vetting
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Amicus Brief
Moody v. NetChoice
Eleventh Circuit case challenging new law regulating social media platforms