In the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling Dobbs v. Jackson, states have not only passed laws establishing criminal penalties for abortion seekers but are also proposing laws to make sharing information about abortion a crime. These laws can chill the speech of doctors and patients and also put journalists covering abortion-rights movement in jeopardy. (Daily Beast, July 17, 2022, by Summer Lopez And Nadine Farid Johnson)
It’s also expected that states will try to prevent pregnant women and doctors from discussing abortion online. Conservatives have long had Section 230 on their agendas since it prevents state laws to regulate online speech. Legal action against 230 may fail in courts but have a chilling effect on free speech by inundating small companies in court costs and intimidating big tech platforms into taking down information on abortion. (Slate, June 15, 2022, by Ron Wyden)