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Animal cruelty videos protected free expression, says US Supreme Court
Padraig Reidy: Animal cruelty videos protected free expression, says US Supreme Court
21 Apr 10

File this one under “interesting”.

The US Supreme Court has ruled that a ban on videos portraying animal cruelty contravene’s the country’s First Amendment, which guarantees free speech.

Laws were introduced in 1999 to prevent the distribution of “crush” videos, showing small animals being stepped on by stiletto heels (yes, really).

But Supreme Court judges voted 8-1 in declaring the laws on depictions of animal cruelty too broad. While there are laws against animal cruelty itself in place, the Supreme Court was unwilling to draw up a new category of prohibited expression. Campaigners had warned that the law was too broad, and could incriminate depictions of bullfights, and even hunting magazines.

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At Index on Censorship, we believe everyone deserves the right to speak freely, challenge power and share ideas without fear. In a world where governments tighten control and algorithms distort the truth, defending those rights is more urgent than ever.

But free speech is not free. Instead we rely on readers like you to keep our journalism independent, our advocacy sharp and our support for writers, artists and dissidents strong.

If you believe in a future where voices aren’t silenced, help us protect it.

Make a £20 monthly donation

At Index on Censorship, we believe everyone deserves the right to speak freely, challenge power and share ideas without fear. In a world where governments tighten control and algorithms distort the truth, defending those rights is more urgent than ever.

But free speech is not free. Instead we rely on readers like you to keep our journalism independent, our advocacy sharp and our support for writers, artists and dissidents strong.

If you believe in a future where voices aren’t silenced, help us protect it.

Make a £10 one-off donation

At Index on Censorship, we believe everyone deserves the right to speak freely, challenge power and share ideas without fear. In a world where governments tighten control and algorithms distort the truth, defending those rights is more urgent than ever.

But free speech is not free. Instead we rely on readers like you to keep our journalism independent, our advocacy sharp and our support for writers, artists and dissidents strong.

If you believe in a future where voices aren’t silenced, help us protect it.

Make a £20 one-off donation

At Index on Censorship, we believe everyone deserves the right to speak freely, challenge power and share ideas without fear. In a world where governments tighten control and algorithms distort the truth, defending those rights is more urgent than ever.

But free speech is not free. Instead we rely on readers like you to keep our journalism independent, our advocacy sharp and our support for writers, artists and dissidents strong.

If you believe in a future where voices aren’t silenced, help us protect it.

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