Book Recommendation – “Speech Police: The Global Struggle to Govern the Internet”

‘Speech Police: The Global Struggle to Govern the Internet’ is the latest publication from UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, David Kaye. Following on from his 2018 report on content regulation, this book looks at the issue of who decides what kind of speech is acceptable online, and the potential implications of the increasing expectations placed on platforms to regulate certain kinds of content.

Kaye’s narrative style is both thoughtful and engaging, covering difficult concepts in a clear and concise fashion, but also exploring aspects of the debate that are often overlooked. Coupled with a relatively low page count, this means that Speech Police is not only a valuable read for those already familiar with the questions around content moderation and freedom of expression, but is also extremely accessible for those new to the topic. As a result, this book is a must read for anybody currently studying or working in tech policy, or those who are simply concerned about the future of the Internet.

You can get a copy of Speech Police from Amazon here.

Disclaimer: I am not being paid to review or recommend this book, but if you click on the Amazon link above and buy a copy, Jeff Bezos might send me a few pennies to say thanks.