# Free Speech Online **URL:** **By** Will Duffield, Aaron Ross Powell, Trevor Burrus **Published:** December 22, 2017 --- We talk about the freedom of speech in the internet era. How has the shift to digital communication changed interpretations of the 1st Amendment? Will Duffield joins us this week to talk about the freedom of speech in the internet era. How has the shift to digital communication changed interpretations of the First Amendment? We discuss the implications of lower barriers to entry for ownership of the mechanisms for distribution of speech, draw a distinction between speech gatekeepers and speech enablers, think about whether big web companies are beginning to act like states, and have a conversation about "fake news." **Show Notes and Further Reading** Here's the Youtube video Aaron mentions about [software that can manipulate mouth and lip movement in video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Yq67CjDqvw). Our [Free Thoughts episode with Brock Cusick on the blockchain](https://www.libertarianism.org/podcasts/free-thoughts/your-world-on-the-blockchain).