Francois Heinderyckx
Coalition for Independent TechThe Coalition for Independent Technology Research has filed a lawsuit with the @knightcolumbia and @protectdemocracy challenging a US State Department policy to revoke or deny visas of non-citizen researchers because of their work studying the societal impacts of technology. (1/4)
Under this policy, researchers, students, fact-checkers, trust & safety workers and nonprofit staff can face visa denials, revocations, detentions, and deportations for their work examining social media platforms, AI systems, digital surveillance, and online harms. This is censorship – and this step is already having a chilling effect: Some researchers have shifted the topics of their work, while some others have stopped projects altogether. (2/4)
When digital technologies are rapidly shaping society, censoring this work only serves to keep the public in the dark while powerful companies can avoid scrutiny. The Coalition is bringing this case because this censorship policy is a clear violation of First Amendment rights. We’re asking the court to stop the government from targeting the public-interest research community so that scientists, students, and non-profit workers can continue their work without fear of retaliation. (3/4)
Read more about the case here (4/4)
https://independenttechresearch.org/citr-challenges-censorship-policy/
https://independenttechresearch.org/citr-challenges-censorship-policy/