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Online Free Speech
VICTORY! On March 22, 2007, a federal district court ruled that COPA violates the constitutional right to free speech. This challenge to Internet censorship in ACLU v. Gonzales (originally ACLU v. Reno, then ACLU v. Ashcroft) began in October 2006. The law threatened draconian criminal sanctions, with penalties of up to $50,000 per day and up to six months imprisonment, for sites presenting online material acknowledged as valuable for adults but judged "harmful to minors." Clients included a broad coalition of writers, artists and health educators with a diverse Web presence. Learn More >>
> ACLU Victorious in Defense of Online Free Speech (3/22/2007)

ACLU Skeptical of Senate Report on “Homegrown” Terrorism (05/08/2008)
Washington, DC – After Senators Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced a report on Islamic homegrown terrorism today, the American Civil Liberties Union strongly urged Congress to use caution when moving forward on related legislation, the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007 (S. 1959). The report, "Violent Islamist Extremism, the Internet, and the Homegrown Terrorism Threat," is based on findings from hearings held by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. The ACLU and nearly twenty other groups sent a memo to the committee outlining concerns with the report, most notably the free speech implications of labeling the internet as a "weapon" and the unfair singling out of one religious group as possible "extremists."

ACLU Commends Net Neutrality Hearing (05/06/2008)
WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union commends Chairman Edward Markey (D-MA) of the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet for holding a hearing today on the Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2008 (H.R. 5353), legislation designed to keep the Internet free for open discourse.

Congress Must Act to Keep the Internet Free from Censorship (03/11/2008)
Washington, DC – Testifying today before the House Judiciary Committee hearing on net neutrality, the director of the ACLU’s Washington Legislative Office, Caroline Fredrickson, urged Congress to act to safeguard free speech on the Internet. “Congress should act to protect the rights of all Internet users to send and receive lawful content free of censorship from government or business,” Fredrickson said. “Restoring meaningful rules that protect Internet users from corporate censorship is vital to the future of free speech on the Internet.”

MAINE ACTIVISTS RENEW CALL FOR NET NEUTRALITY (02/25/2008)
PORTLAND –Mainers who are actively working to ensure that the Internet is available to all users without discrimination travel to Boston today for a Federal Communications Commission hearing on the issue of network neutrality, the principle of non-discrimination on the Internet. The FCC hearing will address Comcast’s practice of blocking peer-to-peer traffic on its network, and the FCC has requested comment on Verizon Communications’ recent blocking of text messaging.

ACLU Calls for Congressional Hearings on Net Neutrality (10/05/2007)
Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union today called on Congress to hold hearings to explore recent anti-consumer actions taken by several Internet service providers that infringed on users’ freedom of speech and access to lawful information. The ACLU believes Congress must take action to restore the network neutrality protections that were in place before 2005 and ensure the Internet remains vibrant, innovative and free of discrimination.

ACLU v. Gonzales - Brief for the Appellees (10/22/2007)
ACLU opposition brief in response to the government's appeal to the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals.

ACLU v. Gonzales - Brief for the Appellant (09/17/2007)
The government's appeal brief to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.

United States v. Forrester - ACLU Amicus Brief (08/29/2007)

ACLU v Gonzales COPA Decision (03/22/2007)
ACLU v Gonzales COPA Decision

October 23, 2006 transcript of ACLU v. Gonzales (10/23/2006)

Coalition Memo to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Regarding "Homegrown Terrorism" (05/07/2008)

ACLU Comments to FCC Regarding Net Neutrality (03/14/2008)

Caroline Fredrickson's Testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on Net Neutrality and Free Speech on the Internet (03/11/2008)

ACLU Letter to Senators Dorgan and Snowe Supporting S. 215, "The Internet Freedom Preservation Act," To Restore Net Neutrality Protections (01/24/2007)
On behalf of the ACLU, a non-partisan organization with hundreds of thousands of activists and members and 53 affiliates nationwide, we are writing to express our support for your bipartisan bill, S. 215, "The Internet Freedom Preservation Act."

ACLU Letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee Urging Support of the Support the Markey Amendment on Network Neutrality to Be Attached to the Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement (COPE) Act of 2006 (04/25/2006)

Online Free Speech - Exhibits (11/20/2006)
Some exhibits used in the ACLU's closing arguments, November 20, 2006

Online Free Speech - Trial Transcripts (10/23/2006)

Child Online Protection Act - The Law (10/20/2006)

Online Free Speech - Client, Aaron Peckham (10/20/2006)

ACLU Defends Free Speech Online (10/20/2006)

ACLU & Youth: Why We Need Net Neutrality Protections (10/23/2006)

Net Neutrality: Myths and Facts (09/22/2006)