We argue that real free speech requires the courage to criticise the radicals on our own side without sliding into denunciation or cancellation. We test where open debate ends and coercion begins, from political correctness and taboo research to hate speech laws and contested definitions of antisemitism.
• why “never criticise your right” weakens debate and traps movements in loyalty tests
• media and institutional power shaping the Overton window of acceptable speech
• political correctness as stigma and censorship rather than honest disagreement
• Orwell as a model for improving your own side through hard critique
• whether “moderate” and “extreme” are cultural fashion labels
• race, IQ, biology, and the risks of building policy on abstract assumptions
• trans politics as a flashpoint for sex based differences in law and safety
• diversity, social trust, and conflicting evidence versus lived experience
• hate speech laws in Australia and the Joel Davis case as a warning
• the IHRA definition of antisemitism and how broad rules can chill debate
• platforming controversial voices versus correcting misinformation in public
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We break down the Broadcasting Standards Authority’s claim that it can regulate online platforms under the Broadcasting Act 1989, even though Parliament never updated the law for the internet. We talk through why that change threatens open debate, why the standards are so subjective, and why we think this fight matters for free speech in New Zealand.
• the BSA asserting jurisdiction over online speech via an old statute
• why broadcast standards existed in a scarce spectrum era
• how the internet breaks the logic of compulsory audiences and balance rules
• the subjectivity of “good taste and decency” and why it becomes a power tool
• Tikanga flashpoints and the idea of modern “heresy trials”
• inconsistencies in targeting small outlets while excluding major platforms
• the practical mess of defining audiences and applying on-demand exceptions
• the chilling effect of complaints, process costs, and potential fines
• political and international risks if New Zealand is seen to censor platforms
• why we say we have to fight and what could come next
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and consider sharing the podcast with others. We release new episodes regularly, and subscribing is the easiest way to stay up to date. If you have any questions, feedback or suggestions, you can contact us at podcast at fsu.nz. If you want to find out more about the New Zealand Free Speech Union, visit fsu.nz.

Support the show

https://www.fsu.nz/
https://x.com/NZFreeSpeech
https://www.instagram.com/freespeechnz/
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📌 Buy Tickets for Sarah's NZ Tour: https://www.fsu.nz/events/mclaughlin-tour

📅 Tour dates:

📍 Auckland - Sun 19 April
📍 Tauranga - Tue 21 April
📍 Wellington - Wed 22 April
📍 Christchurch - Thu 23 April
📍 Dunedin - Fri 24 April

We talk with Sarah McLaughlin from FIRE about why free speech threats spread across borders faster than most people notice, especially online. We dig into how self-censorship, “online safety” rules, and hate speech laws can shrink debate in universities and everyday life, including here in New Zealand.

• internet censorship and regulation crossing borders quickly
• young people bearing the brunt of speech control and pushing back
• universities self-censoring under pressure from foreign governments and funding
• why Europe and the UK matter for Kiwi free speech debates
• the UK Online Safety Act and spillover effects on global platforms
• under-16 bans, age verification, anonymity risks, and VPN crackdowns
• why hate speech laws can backfire and empower the wrong people
• defending a principle rather than defending a person

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and consider sharing the podcast with others. If you have any questions, feedback, or suggestions, you can contact us at podcast at fsu.nz. If you want to find out more about the New Zealand Free Speech Union, visit fsu.nz.

Support the show

https://www.fsu.nz/
https://x.com/NZFreeSpeech
https://www.instagram.com/freespeechnz/
https://www.tiktok.com/@freespeechunionnz