First Amendment News

San Francisco is studying whether to use open-source software for voting. Some claim that open-source systems will provide increased control, transparency and security as programmers will  be able to assess the voting system before election day to spot bugs and suggest changes. The public will also know more about how votes are tallied. Private vendors of voting machines understandably keep details of the operation secret. (San Francisco Chronicle, September 3, 2017, by Dominic Fracassa) A

Congress is considering legislation that would carve out a new exception to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act causing widespread concern. Section 230 allows websites to run user content without concern for legal responsibility. The legislation allows state prosecutors to act against websites that host ads for sex with children. Those opposing the new law say that a federal law passed in 2015 already allows federal prosecution for websites hosting ads for sex with

A bill to make police body-cam footage a matter of public record stalled again in the California state legislature, failing to make a September 1 deadline. The bill introduces a test that could be used by law enforcement to determine when to disclose body-cam footage in incidents such as fatal shootings.  As it stands now, police routinely block access by claiming the footage is part of an ongoing investigation.  (Courthouse News Service, September 6, 2017,

A student group at UC Berkeley is sponsoring a Free Speech Week set for September 24-27 and has invited conservative speakers Ann Coulter and Milo Yiannopoulos. Speaking events featuring the two did not go well earlier in the year, disrupted or cancelled. UC spokesperson Dan Mogulof said the university has no say on the choice of speakers and that their role was to safeguard people on campus and prepare for safe and secure events. (Time,

A media trade group representing news publishers accused the National Rifle Association of fomenting violence against journalists. The group was particularly concerned about a NRA statement in an August video gone viral that said the New York Times was an “untrustworthy, dishonest rag,” that the video was a “shot across your proverbial bow” and “We’re coming after you.” (CNN, September 5, 2017, by Brian Stelter) The incendiary comments were part of a recruitment video. Chris