Free Speech Debate

Aryeh Neier, human rights lawyer and president emeritus of the Open Society Foundations speaks about the future of free speech.

The author of the Master Switch says that while the right to be forgotten is a good idea in theory, the reality is that it may hamper entrepreneurship in Europe.

The director of the Moral Courage Project says so-called “respect” for Muslims is often lined with fear and “low expectations” of those practising the faith.

Alain Bouldoires talks to Timothy Garton Ash about the survival of blasphemy laws in Europe, and calls for a ‘right to blaspheme’.

Professor Jytte Klausen analyses and criticises Yale University Press’s decision to remove images of Muhammad from her scholarly book on the Danish cartoons controversy.

In this interview for Free Speech Debate, renowned Philosophy Professor Rae Langton speaks about the value of philosophy for our understanding of free speech and discusses aspects of her work on pornography and the silencing of women.

Giles Fraser, commentator and Anglican priest, talks with Free Speech Debate about the relationship between free speech and religion, and the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris.

The director general of the BBC explains why it aired Jerry Springer: The Opera, and talks about different responses to Christianity and Islam.

Author Evgeny Morozov highlights the dangers that sometimes emerge when governments and corporations harness the internet to serve their own objectives.

Former British MI5 agent Annie Machon revealed, together with David Shayler, alleged criminal behaviour within the agency. In an interview with Free Speech Debate, she speaks about the need for official channels through which whistleblowers can voice their concerns.

Is the age of privacy over? Lord (Richard) Allan from Facebook and Viktor Mayer-Schönberger, author of Delete, go head to head on privacy and the right to be forgotten in the internet era.

Professor Timothy Garton Ash (Director of Free Speech Debate) interviews Jimmy Wales (Founder of Wikipedia) on the topic of global free speech and the internet. This was the launch event of Free Speech Debate and took place in Oxford on 19 Jan 2012.

In this short introductory video, the director of Free Speech Debate, talks about the objectives of this Oxford University research project.