Dear Colleagues, 

Some of you may recall I emailed a few weeks ago to let you know about Coalition for Independent Technology Research v Rubio, the effort to defend researchers in the US whose visas are threatened to punish their speech.

I wanted to share a brief update following the Hearing on 13th May with this video from the press conference and this op-ed 'The U.S. is targeting researchers who help us understand the effects of social media' from Brandi Guerkink Executive Director of the Coalition for Independent Technology Research about the importance of this case for disinformation researchers and public interest tech research. In it she explains that: 

"...these pressures are pushing us toward a future with less transparency, less accountability, and fewer answers to critical questions about the systems that shape our lives." 

"If the United States forces out the people who study these technologies, it will not be protecting free expression. It will be ensuring the most powerful systems in our society remain the least understood and the least accountable. In that scenario, Silicon Valley wins."

Sadly I was unable to make it to DC for the hearing as I am still recovering from surgery but I am glad I was able to help support the fight with my declaration in the lawsuit. We are now waiting for the outcome of the hearing. 

Emma