How much free speech is too much?

The Gray Area with Sean Illing

Vox Media Podcast Network

Society & Culture, News, Politics, News Commentary, Philosophy

4.6 • 10.8K Ratings

🗓️ 15 September 2025

⏱️ 58 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Free speech is often treated as a timeless and sacred right. But what if it’s more myth than reality? This week, Sean is joined by historian Fara Dabhoiwala, author of What Is Free Speech? They trace the history of free expression from 18th-century pamphleteers, to John Stuart Mill, to the digital platforms that dominate our lives today. They explore why speech is never just “speech,” how context and power shape who gets heard, the dangers of harmful speech, and the challenges of regulating platforms in a global media environment. Host: Sean Illing (@SeanIlling) Guest: Fara Dabhoiwala, historian and author of What Is Free Speech? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at 1-800-214-5749. Your questions and feedback help us make a better show. Watch full episodes of The Gray Area on YouTube. Listen ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: http://vox.com/members Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	What did the Supreme Court's recent decision on affirmative action actually change?
0:05.7	And what does it mean for who gets into elite colleges?
0:08.8	I'm Preet Bharara, and this week, Yale Law Professor Justin Driver joins me on Stay Tuned with Preet
0:14.0	to trace the history of affirmative action and explain where we are in light of the Supreme Court's ruling in SFFA versus Harvard.
0:22.3	The episode is out now.
0:24.1	Search and follow. Stay tuned with Preet, wherever you get your podcasts.
0:30.7	Support for this show comes from ServiceNow.
0:34.3	AI is only as powerful as the platform it's built into.
0:38.0	For example, if AI were built into my shoes, how powerful could it really be?
0:43.0	Like it could tell me that my laces are getting loose, but I don't need AI to ping me when
0:47.0	the bunny ears are getting floppy.
0:49.4	Service Now is a much better example, because ServiceNow says they seamlessly unify people, data, workflows, and AI, connecting every corner of your business.
0:59.3	And with AI agents working together autonomously, anyone in any department can focus on the work that matters most.
1:06.5	Learn how ServiceNow puts AI to work for people at servicenow.com.
1:14.5	Thank you. how ServiceNow puts AI to work for people at service now.com. Free speech is the foundation of democracy, the lifeblood of a liberal society.
1:20.9	Saying what you want to say, what you need to say, is the top spot in the Bill of Rights for a reason.
1:28.3	But speech is powerful and slippery,
1:32.3	and people can use it in dangerous, unpredictable, chaotic ways.
1:37.3	So how do we manage that tension?
1:40.3	Should free speech be a little less free?
1:43.3	Or is it truly an unimpeachable right?
1:47.0	I'm Sean Allen, and this is the gray area.
	...

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