This is the Cato Daily Podcast for Friday, August 23rd, 2024.

I'm Caleb Brown.

It's well understood that the First Amendment is not very well understood.

There are threats to free speech in America from inside and out.

From Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Tim Wall's not understanding what speech protections are encompassed by the First Amendment.

To European regulators telling American companies how they ought to limit American speech on their own platforms,

Kate who's David and Sarah helps those confused about how freedom of speech works.

David, I hope you can help me get some clarity on a couple of things.

And just as a jumping off point and I don't want to dwell on it too much, but Tim

Walls at least at the Vice Presidential candidate with Kamala Harris on the

Democratic side has what I have come to regard as sort of the normal and wrong view of the first amendment.

Can you lay out exactly what he said and why that is

mistaken? Yeah, so in the aftermath of him being selected to be you know the

vice presidential nominee on that offer the Democratic ticket.

A video emerged of him saying that there's no guarantee to free speech on misinformation

or hate speech, especially around our democracy.

And you might say, well, it's pulled out of context.

He's talking about a variety of things about the 20-20 elections.

He's talking about things that are happening in the aftermath of that.

He's talking about things that are happening in the streets of his cities.

Hate speech and misinformation are generally protected by the First Amendment,

except unless you're inciting someone to imminent violence,

...