Substack plans to protect foreign writers “residing lawfully” within the US who could also be focused by the federal government for what they write. The corporate is partnering with the nonprofit Basis for Particular person Rights and Expression (FIRE) to offer authorized assist to impacted writers — whether or not they publish on Substack or not — citing latest assaults on free speech.
Of their announcement, Substack and FIRE point out the worldwide Tufts University student who was arrested by federal brokers final week. Her authorized workforce links her arrest to an opinion piece she co-wrote for the varsity’s newspaper final 12 months, which criticized Tufts for failing to adjust to requests to divest from firms with connections to Israel. “If true, this represents a chilling escalation within the authorities’s effort to focus on critics of American international coverage,” Substack and FIRE write.
The initiative builds on Substack’s Defender program, which already presents authorized help for impartial journalists and creators on the platform. The corporate says it has supported “dozens” of Substack writers dealing with claims of defamation and trademark infringement because it launched this system within the US in 2020. It has since introduced Substack Defender to writers in Canada and the UK.