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The National Library of Scotland: When curation becomes censorship
A public vote to select books for the library’s centenary exhibition has ignited controversy after a collection of essays by feminist writers was excluded
Latest news
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Summer festivals grapple with censorship
Organisers of cultural events such as Glastonbury, Boardmasters and the Edinburgh Fringe are struggling with how to deal with pro-Palestinian acts
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What to expect from Trump and Putin’s special relationship
Trump’s administration is making clear it wants to do business with Russia. Will this rapprochement bring lasting peace or ultimately increase Puti...
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The week in free expression: 9 August – 15 August 2025
Index rounds up of some of the key stories covering censorship and free expression from the past seven days
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The Online Safety Act risks making everyone less safe
The fallibility of technology means that the privacy of us all could be compromised, as new rules on age verification come into force
Banned Books Week UK returns from 5–11 October 2025. It’s a week to celebrate the books that have been challenged, removed or silenced, and to stand with the people who write, sell and share them
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Spotlight: Jimmy Lai trial
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Death by a thousand cuts in Hong Kong
It’s been five years since the National Security Law was passed: how much has freedom of expression deteriorated in China’s special administrative ...
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Jimmy Lai’s “co-conspirators” speak out after being named in Hong Kong trial
Bill Browder and Benedict Rogers are among those singled out in the Hong Kong-British businessman’s trial on charges under the national security law
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Argument for urgent intervention in Jimmy Lai case laid bare in new report
Pressure on UK government to intervene in Lai case highlighted in a new report, which exposes the destruction of media freedom in Hong Kong
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Postcard campaign provides comfort to Jimmy Lai in prison
US students are sending the imprisoned activist postcards in act of solidarity
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MAGAZINE
LATEST ISSUE: VOLUME 54.02 SUMMER 2025
Land of the Free?: Trump's war on speech at home and abroad
Has the USA, the so-called Land of the Free, become a dangerous country for those who question its government?
Such a notion is, of course, in opposition to the country’s founding principles. Enshrined in the 1791 First Amendment to the US Constitution are citizens’ fundamental freedoms – including freedom of religion, speech, the press, protest and petition. Conveniently glossing over its dark history of colonisation and slavery (which would continue for nearly a century after the First Amendment was ratified), it signified the USA as a global bastion of democracy, equality and civilised values. Now, Trump appears to be metaphorically setting fire to the paper these principles are written on.
This is having profound impacts within the USA and around the world. Trump was inaugurated for his second term only six months ago, but already he has sought to deport people for their views on Israel and Palestine; threatened universities with eye-watering financial sanctions if they do not adhere to his ideological viewpoints; slashed the budgets of state-funded broadcasters; deployed the National Guard to police protests, a tactic used by military dictatorships; and dismantled the US Agency for International Development (USAID), stopping the work of human rights groups globally.
In this edition, we explore these attacks on free speech at home and abroad.
Uncensored gallery
Index commissions censored and exiled artists from around the world to illustrate our magazine covers and feature stories. You can view some of their work here