Articles by Free Speech Union

Human beings cannot flourish unless they are free! We protect, expand, and fight for New Zealanders’ rights to freedom of speech, conscience, and intellectual inquiry. We envision a flourishing New Zealand civil society that values and protects vigorous debate, dissenting ideas, and freedom of speech as cultural cornerstones.

Australia's rushed hate speech laws highlight risks of emotion-driven legislation

elocal magazine • Opinion • 21 Jan 2026

by Free Speech Union

“New Zealand should learn from the problems emerging in Australia's new anti-hate legislation, not seek to replicate them, says the Free Speech Union. *"Australia's Parliament passed sweeping new laws in an emergency late-night session with barely three days of public consultation,"* said Jillaine Heather, Chief Executive of the Free Speech Union. The Bondi tragedy was horrific and antisemitism is a genuine problem. But when legal experts,…

UK threat to ban X reveals how safety rhetoric becomes censorship infrastructure

elocal magazine • Freedom of Speech • 11 Jan 2026

by Free Speech Union

“The Free Speech Union warns that the United Kingdom's threat to block X entirely over Grok AI failures shows how online safety regulation rapidly escalates from addressing illegal content to silencing entire platforms." *“UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed this week that all options are on the table, including blocking X under the Online Safety Act, after Grok AI was used to create child sexual abuse material. Indonesia became the first…

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