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Artwork for So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast

So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast

FIRE
Free Speech
First Amendment
Private Censorship
Social Media
Censorship
Comedy
Cancel Culture
Section 230
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Backpage
Netchoice Cases
Social Media Censorship
Murthy V. Missouri
NRA V. Vullo
Supreme Court Cases
IHRA Definition Of Anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism Awareness Act
Misinformation
Jeff Kosseff
Anarchism

So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast takes an uncensored look at the world of free expression through the law, philosophy, and stories that define your right to free speech. Hosted by FIRE's Nico Perrino. New episodes post every other Thursday.

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes271Founded10 years ago
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PoliticsNewsNews Commentary

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Artwork for So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast

Latest Episodes

In March, juries in California and New Mexico delivered seminal verdicts holding Meta and YouTube liable for failing to protect young users from harm.

Both verdicts found that the companies were negligent in the design or operation of their platfor... more

Governments around the world have increasingly sought to regulate online speech well beyond their borders.

If global platforms are forced to comply with the world's most restrictive laws, whose speech standards win? And what happens to a free and ... more

Several stories have put government power over speech and technology back in the spotlight.

In this episode, we break down the Pentagon's targeting of the AI company Anthropic, the push for government-mandated age verification technologies, and the... more

In the years leading up to the American Revolution, newspapers and pamphlets overflowed with essays signed "Publius," "Brutus," and "A Farmer." Those arguments helped shape a nation, but the authors' real names were nowhere to be found.

Americans h... more

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Recent Guests

Preston Byrne
Attorney with two decades in international law and emerging technologies, counsel to a coalition of internet publishing platforms
Attorney; counsel to a coalition of internet publishing platforms
Episode: Ep. 266: How foreign censors target American speakers
Jennifer Huddleston
Senior Fellow in Technology Policy at the Cato Institute
Cato Institute
Episode: Ep. 265: Anthropic, age verification laws, and press freedom
Mike Godwin
AI and Privacy Expert; former EFF staff counsel; first General Counsel at Wikimedia
Electronic Frontier Foundation; Wikimedia
Episode: Ep. 265: Anthropic, age verification laws, and press freedom
Greg Lukianoff
President of FIRE
Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
Episode: Ep. 265: Anthropic, age verification laws, and press freedom
Clark Neily
Senior Vice President for Legal Studies at the Cato Institute
Cato Institute
Episode: Ep. 263: Free speech in Trump 2.0
Timothy Zick
Professor of Government and Citizenship at William & Mary Law School and author of 'Trump 2.0, Executive Power and the First Amendment'
Episode: Ep. 263: Free speech in Trump 2.0
Conor Fitzpatrick
Supervising senior attorney at FIRE
FIRE
Episode: Ep. 263: Free speech in Trump 2.0
Pouya Nikmand
Iranian-born writer who escaped Iran at 18.
Runs a Substack called Outliving Iran
Episode: Ep. 262: Escaping Iran
Richard Bell
Professor of history at the University of Maryland and author of The American Revolution and the Fate of the World.
University of Maryland
Episode: Ep. 261: Thomas Paine's rise and fall

Host

Nico Perrino
Host of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast (uncensored look at free expression through law, philosophy, and stories)

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 249 ratings
  • February 2026 episode review

    This podcast episode went off the rails when you assumed facts not in evidence, namely that Pretti got between ICE and their target. They didn't apprehend anyone that day on that street and were not seeking to apprehend anyone immediately there in that scrum. What they clearly did (the federal agents) was follow one or two guys TO the civilians on the side of the road and, well, I won't assume they attacked for no reason, but you should not be assuming or looking to create an "operation" for him... more

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    EllaMcC
    United States2 months ago
  • Good

    Good

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jake11144
    United Statesa year ago
  • So excited this made iTunes top ten!

    Nico is a great host and one of the better proponents of free speech. Very conversational style and doesnt over-use the legal jargon.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Celia Rogers
    United States2 years ago
  • Dennis D. Karpf

    Incisive and absence of cant. Free speech can not override free association, free religion, and free conscience and free movement. No doubt words/thought balance is sometimes gray. Law can prevent antisemitic action/behavior. However those circumstance in reality are rare. Speech codes are not the answer. Balance is needed between competing interests that does prevent threats to Jews. Threats and harassment are not speech. However make no mistake Islamist ideology and its red/green allies seek o... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    dennis.karpf
    United States2 years ago
  • Produced by FIRE, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, the law firm and advocacy group fulfilling the role of defending free speech that has been abandoned by the ACLU. You can learn a lot about how governments in the US violate our freedoms and how some are fighting back.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    Larryseltzer
    3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Thoughtful, approachable discussions with strong guests and deep dives into free speech issues.
High-quality interviews with lawyers and scholars, offering useful legal and historical context.
Consistently informative and essential for anyone following First Amendment debates.

Top Politics Podcasts

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Ep. 266: How foreign censors target American speakers
Q: What is Granite, and why was it developed?
Granite is a proposed US law (an acronym for guaranteeing rights against novel international tyranny and extortion) with a shield to block foreign censorship orders and a sword that creates a private right of action against foreign governments that threaten US companies, aiming to deter extraterritorial enforcement.
Ep. 264: Anonymity from the founding to the digital age
Q: What is anonymity, and how does it differ from pseudonymity?
Anonymity is the ability to separate one's identity from the speech itself, while pseudonymity uses a persistent, non-real-name identifier; the conversation notes these concepts as distinct but related, with pseudonyms often used to shield identity while maintaining a link to the speech.
Ep. 259: FIRE answers your questions
Q: What position has FIRE taken regarding the grading of a student who only cited scripture in her paper?
FIRE traditionally doesn't get involved in grading disputes, but it raises concerns if students are penalized solely for citing sources like the Bible.
Ep. 259: FIRE answers your questions
Q: What does the press clause of the First Amendment mean and who does it apply to?
The press clause is surprisingly undeveloped and primarily concerns the technology of the press rather than the institution itself.
Ep. 260: Remembering 'free-thinking' writer Nat Hentoff
Q: How did those early years of Nat's life help shape him?
His experience with anti-Semitism and his parents' immigrant background greatly influenced his career and motivations.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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2. The Reason Roundtable
3. The Fifth Column
4. Advisory Opinions
5. The Dispatch Podcast

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So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast launched 10 years ago and published 271 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast?

Recent guests on So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast include:

1. Preston Byrne
2. Jennifer Huddleston
3. Mike Godwin
4. Greg Lukianoff
5. Clark Neily
6. Timothy Zick
7. Conor Fitzpatrick
8. Pouya Nikmand

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