As Congress weighs anti-SLAPP legislation, stories abound on chilled free speech
Historically, free speech, libel and First Amendment laws have been about the institutional press, but now such laws apply to all people, said Mike Godwin, general counsel for think tank R Street Institute during the Thursday-evening event. “That’s a really important generational shift that’s really just happened in the last few decades.” Some companies and individuals use strategic lawsuits against public participation — popularly known as SLAPPs — to chill free speech and deter people from even expressing their opinion, the panelists said.
