User:Positively Pandy/Essay

Free Speech - American v. Australia

Does another country have the right to impose their legal standards on an entirely American entity? Answer: No.

American sovereignty is impinged when another country, in this case, Australia, dictates what an American entity can and cannot publish. The fact that Australia does not have the same free speech protections as America does not afford them the right to issue, let alone enforce restrictions on content on American servers with an American non-profit. The default position (albeit from an American perspective) is freedom of speech, with limitations meted out cautiously and with great consideration, not merely as a matter of convenience or even offense. That isn't the case here. Their understandable concerns of finding an untainted jury should be addressed in voir dire, and sequestering the chosen jury, as is done in American courts when necessary.

And what kind of precedent does such censorship set? While I hate the term slippery slope, it does fit here. What if Pakistan doesn't like articles about Al Qaeda? What if Saudi Arabia doesn't like articles about their ruling family killing American journalists in Turkey? And is the right to censorship reciprocal? Do we get to rule and dictate what can and cannot be disseminated in other countries on their servers?