Join 45,000 people who speak freely.
The Free Speech Union has fought over 6,000 cases for people who found themselves in trouble for speaking their mind. Join 45,000 members who know expert support is there when they need it.
The Free Speech Union has fought over 6,000 cases for people who found themselves in trouble for speaking their mind. Join 45,000 members who know expert support is there when they need it.
Senior figures at Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service have cautioned firefighters who support Reform UK and urged staff to report colleagues over their political views — prompting the Free Speech Union to write to Mayor Andy Burnham warning of a chilling effect on lawful political expression.
The Chairman of Bradford's policing scrutiny panel was sacked by West Yorkshire Police after complaining that officers were ignoring the elephant in the room of Islamist extremism after last year's synagogue attack.
Meta is silencing Sarah Wynn-Williams, a former Director of Global Public Policy at Facebook, who published a memoir — Careless People — containing damning claims about the company's internal culture and its appeasement of the Chinese government. Bound by a legal order that exposes her to a $50,000 fine for every breach, Wynn-Williams sat in silence on stage at the Hay Festival while Professor Tim Wu answered questions on her behalf.
Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old student, was stabbed with a 21cm ceremonial knife on a night out in Southampton. When police arrived, they handcuffed and arrested him for an alleged racial slur rather than trying to save his life. The Free Speech Union has long warned that the police need to get their priorities straight, and there are serious questions Hampshire Police must answer.
South Wales Police has told officers to log anti-Islam conversations that stray beyond what it deems "legitimate" — a subjective threshold that hands individual officers the power to determine acceptable speech and could see lawful expression recorded as an anti-social behaviour incident, potentially appearing in DBS checks. The Free Speech Union has written to the force demanding it withdraw the guidance, warning of judicial review if it refuses.
British citizens are flocking to freedom.gov, a "censorship circumvention project" set up by the Trump administration's State Department, to bypass the restrictive online safety laws imposed by the UK's Online Safety Act and the EU's Digital Services Act. Sarah Rogers, US Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy, says Brits are visiting the site more than any other nationality — because they are living under a government "hostile to freedom of speech".
A strong community dedicated to protecting free expression
If you want to speak up about an issue that matters to you, you should be free to do so without fear of being penalised. We have helped over 6,000 people who’ve found themselves in trouble merely for expressing a controversial opinion or for exercising their right to lawful free speech, whether at college or university, in the workplace or on social media.
If you’re looking for information and guidance, or in need of immediate help, our team of experts are here to provide assistance, resources and support.
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Free speech is a fundamental human right and the most important one of all because without it we wouldn’t be able to defend the others. It’s the lifeblood of democracy and a bulwark against tyranny.
Academic freedom is the lifeblood of universities. By engaging in open discussion, students and academics are able to develop different ideas and advance the frontiers of knowledge.
Freedom of expression extends to nonverbal and creative forms of communication — art, music, film, performance and symbols — that convey ideas beyond spoken or written words.
Freedom of the press is essential for the proper functioning of democracy. Without journalists holding the powerful to account citizens cannot make informed decisions at the ballot box.
Please consider supporting the Free Speech Union. Your donation helps fund our legal work, campaigning and member support so we can continue defending free expression across Britain. Any contribution—large or small—makes a real difference.
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