2026 Summer Speaker Series
The MIT Free Speech Summer Webinar Series: Conversations on Censorship & Liberty
Join the MIT Free Speech Alliance this summer for a free, three-part digital discussion series featuring leading authors and thinkers tackling the most urgent threats to free expression today.
The right to speak freely is under unprecedented siege. From the erosion of free expression within the publishing industry to the global free speech recession accelerating across democratic societies, the fundamental right to open discourse is facing new political, technological, and cultural pressures. This summer series explores the backlash against free speech, the rise of algorithmic speech control, and nonpartisan, civic-minded speech solutions designed to defend our liberties.
Session 1: The Publishing Industry & Censorship
Date: Tuesday, June 23rd at 4:00 p.m. ET
Speaker: Adam Szetela, author of "That Book Is Dangerous!" (MIT Press)
Join Adam Szetela for a deep dive into the current trends in publishing industry censorship. This discussion will explore the mechanics of book banning trends, the quiet rise of internal editorial suppression, and how the industry is currently navigating the cultural pressures to restrict ideas.
Session 2: The Global Decline of Free Expression
Date: Tuesday, July 28, at 4:00 p.m. ET
Speaker: Jacob Mchangama, co-author, "The Future of Free Speech"
Are we witnessing a global crisis of free speech? This session confronts how liberal democracies are imposing regulations on harmful content, how digital platforms wield unprecedented power over global discourse, and the massive scale of AI content removal policies. Learn how we can combat authoritarian censorship tactics and build a framework for preserving expression in democratic societies.
Register for Session 2 Here
Session 3: To Be Announced
Date: Late August
More information on our final summer speaker will be shared shortly.
Register for Session 3 Here - Coming Soon!
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