Emerging Technology

Limits on Free Expression: An International View

07.28.19 | 1 min read | Text by Steven Aftergood

While many countries recognize freedom of speech as a fundamental value, every country also imposes some legal limits on free speech.

A new report from the Law Library of Congress surveys the legal limitations on free expression in thirteen countries: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Israel, Japan, Germany, France, New Zealand, Sweden, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine.

“In particular, the report focuses on the limits of protection that may apply to the right to interrupt or affect in any other way public speech. The report also addresses the availability of mechanisms to control foreign broadcasters working on behalf of foreign governments,” wrote Ruth Levush in the document summary. See Limits on Freedom of Expression, Law Library of Congress, June 2019.

Some other noteworthy recent reports from the Law Library of Congress include the following.

Initiatives to Counter Fake News in Selected Countries, April 2019

Regulation of Artificial Intelligence in Selected Jurisdictions, January 2019

publications
See all publications
Emerging Technology
day one project
Policy Memo
Terminal Patients Need Better Access to Drugs and Clinical Trial Information

Modernizing ClinicalTrials.gov will empower patients, oncologists, and others to better understand what trials are available, where they are available, and their up-to-date eligibility criteria, using standardized search categories to make them more easily discoverable.

07.30.25 | 18 min read
read more
Emerging Technology
Blog
What’s Progress and What’s Not in the Trump Administration’s AI Action Plan

The current lack of public trust in AI risks inhibiting innovation and adoption of AI systems, meaning new methods will not be discovered and new benefits won’t be felt. A failure to uphold high standards in the technology we deploy will also place our nation at a strategic disadvantage compared to our competitors.

07.28.25 | 6 min read
read more
Emerging Technology
Policy Memo
A National Institute for High-Reward Research

We need a new agency that specializes in uncovering funding opportunities that were overlooked elsewhere. Judging from the history of scientific breakthroughs, the benefits could be quite substantial.

07.23.25 | 6 min read
read more
Emerging Technology
day one project
Policy Memo
Digital Product Passports: Transforming America’s Linear Economy to Combat Waste, Counterfeits, and Supply Chain Vulnerabilities

A shift toward more circular, transparent systems would not only reduce waste and increase efficiency, but also unlock new business models, strengthen supply chain resilience, and give consumers better, more reliable information about the products they choose.

07.16.25 | 10 min read
read more