[Air-L] Defending Researchers: My Declaration in CITR v. Rubio

[Dr. Emma Briant]

Dear Colleagues,


The Trump administration is using immigration law to punish and silence
disinformation researchers, advocates, and trust-and-safety professionals
on the basis of the misleading premise that by doing research and advocacy,
they are ‘complicit’ in censorship. Four researchers have publicly been
"barred" by the State Department, including several who had their visas
revoked. But the policy is so vague it can potentially encompass
researchers working on everything from fact-checking to researching
propaganda, misinformation, disinformation, algorithms and social media as
its potential targets. The government’s actions send a powerful chill
through all of these researchers currently on visas in the United States,
including me.



By making an example of these four researchers, it has become clear that
every researcher is under threat. We all get the message. This is why, as a
member of Coalition for Independent Technology Research, I have added my
own declaration next to those of threatened researchers in CITR v. Rubio.
We hope this important case being fought by the Knight First Amendment
Institute will protect the constitutional rights of visa-holders.



The First Amendment exists precisely to prevent the government from
punishing speech it dislikes. Right now the Trump Administration
is stifling the ability to have an informed debate about online platforms,
their responsibilities to their users and what role regulation should play.



Read more about the case, or read my declaration and the others submitted
here <https://knightcolumbia.org/cases/citr-v-rubio>.


And if you'd like to spread the word and support, here are my posts on
this:

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/emmalbriant_coalition-for-independent-technology-research-activity-7443350169766682624-Kwx8?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAa1s9sBvLpKfG3TEcfab8iXokCuK1ULI-s

Substack:
https://dremmalbriant.substack.com/p/my-declaration-in-citr-v-rubio?r=97fyx&utm_medium=ios&triedRedirect=true

And Knight First Amendment Institute's post on this:

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/knightcolumbia_technology-researchers-ask-court-to-block-activity-7443286210866724864-Q_k-?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAa1s9sBvLpKfG3TEcfab8iXokCuK1ULI-s

Thank you,

Emma

-- 
*Dr Emma L Briant*

Visiting Associate Professor at University of Notre Dame, USA
Fellow at Bard College, Human Rights Project, USA
Associate at George Washington University, Institute for Public Diplomacy
and Global Communication, USA
Associate at University of Cambridge, Center for Financial Reporting &
Accountability, UK
Affiliate at Monash University, Monash Global Peace and Security Centre,
Australia
Owner, Director and Consultant: Maven of Persuasion LLC

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