Omar Bennett
Freedom of speech is a human right recognised by the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international human rights law. Many countries have constitutional law that protects free speech, including the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Indonesia, and many African countries. However, the extent and enforcement of free speech protections vary from country to country, and some countries outright suppress it.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Countries with constitutionally protected free speech | United States, Canada, Netherlands, Indonesia, Senegal, South Africa, and the majority of African countries |
| Countries with low tolerance of freedom of expression | Jordan, Pakistan, Ukraine, Vietnam, Lebanon, Japan |
| Countries with the highest percentage of respondents who felt that free speech was properly protected | Indonesia (86%), Netherlands (84%), Canada (79%), United States (73%) |
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What You'll Learn
Free speech in the United States
Free speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to free speech is enshrined in the constitution of the United States – the First Amendment offers protection of public speech. However, it's worth noting that only 73% of respondents in the United States felt that free speech was properly protected, placing the country below several others, including Canada, the Netherlands, and Indonesia.
While the United States is one of the countries with constitutionally protected free speech, it's important to understand that free speech is not absolute, even in countries with strong protections. There are certain restrictions and limitations in place, such as libel, slander, incitement, copyright violation, trade secrets, and perjury. For example, a person may not incite action that would harm others, such as shouting "fire" in a crowded theatre. These restrictions aim to balance the right to free speech with the need to maintain public order and protect individuals from harm.
The protection of free speech in the United States has been a topic of ongoing debate, particularly in the age of social media. With the rise of online platforms, concerns have been raised about the potential negative consequences of unrestricted free speech. Some argue that it can be misused to spread misinformation, bully others, and promote hate and intolerance. This has led to discussions about where to draw the line between free expression and offensive, threatening, or harmful content.
Additionally, it's important to recognise that the enforcement of free speech protections can vary. While the United States has constitutional protections, the extent to which these rights are upheld in practice may differ. This is influenced by factors such as cultural norms, political climate, and the interpretation of laws by courts and law enforcement agencies. As a result, the experience of free speech may vary across different states or communities within the United States.
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Free speech in African countries
The majority of African countries have constitutionally protected free speech, with the extent and enforcement varying from country to country. Senegal has the most decisive freedom of expression of all African countries, with many associations active in human rights and freedom of expression. It also has the freedom to practice religion, or not practice a religion.
Under apartheid, freedom of speech was curtailed under apartheid legislation such as the Native Administration Act 1927 and the Suppression of Communism Act, 1950. In light of South Africa's racial and discriminatory history, particularly the Apartheid era, the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996 precludes expression that is tantamount to the advocacy of hatred based on some listed grounds.
Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recognised as a human right in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international human rights law.
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Free speech in communist countries
Free speech is a right preserved in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and formally granted by the laws of most nations. However, it is often restricted in communist countries.
The majority of African constitutions provide legal protection for freedom of speech, with Senegal having the most decisive freedom of expression of all African countries.
In the United States, the First Amendment offers protection of public speech. However, free speech is restricted in some countries, including communist countries.
In communist countries, free speech is often restricted to prevent anti-revolutionary or counter-revolutionary speech. Some people argue that free speech is allowed as long as it is not hate speech. However, others argue that there is no freedom of speech in communist countries at all.
Overall, while free speech is a fundamental human right, its protection varies across the world, with communist countries often imposing restrictions on this right.
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Free speech in fascist countries
Free speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recognised as a human right in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international human rights law. Many countries have constitutional law that protects free speech, although in some countries, free speech is deprioritised or outright suppressed.
Free speech is often restricted in totalitarian countries, communist countries, fascist countries, and dictatorships. Fascist countries are often associated with censorship and the suppression of dissent, which is at odds with the principle of free speech. In fascist regimes, the state typically controls the media and restricts the flow of information to promote its own ideology and maintain power.
However, it is important to note that the line between free expression and offensive, threatening, or harmful content is often blurred. This is particularly true in the age of social media, where free speech can be used to spread damaging misinformation, bully others, and promote hate and intolerance.
While the majority of African constitutions provide legal protection for freedom of speech, the extent and enforcement vary from country to country. For example, under apartheid, freedom of speech was curtailed under legislation such as the Native Administration Act 1927 and the Suppression of Communism Act, 1950. In contrast, Senegal has the most decisive freedom of expression of all African countries, with many associations active in human rights and freedom of expression.
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Free speech in dictatorships
Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recognised as a human right in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international human rights law. Many countries have constitutional law that protects free speech.
However, in practice, some countries protect free speech, some deprioritise it, and some outright suppress it. Freedom of speech is often restricted in totalitarian countries, communist countries, fascist countries, and dictatorships.
The majority of African constitutions provide legal protection for freedom of speech, with the extent and enforcement varying from country to country. Senegal has the most decisive freedom of expression of all African countries. It has many associations active in human rights and freedom of expression.
In the United States, freedom of speech is enshrined in the constitution – the first amendment offers protection of public speech. However, only 73% of respondents in the United States felt that free speech was properly protected. This placed the U.S. below several other countries, including Canada at 79%, the Netherlands at 84%, and Indonesia, which scored a survey-leading 86%.
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Frequently asked questions
Many countries have constitutional law that protects free speech, but the extent and enforcement of this protection varies from country to country.
Canada, the Netherlands, Indonesia and the United States are all countries where free speech is protected. However, only 73% of respondents in the United States felt that free speech was properly protected.
Jordan, Pakistan, Ukraine, Vietnam, Lebanon and Japan have a low tolerance of freedom of expression.
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