February 2026: Free Press' Constitutional Rights & Free Speech Round Up This month, the throughline was clear: infrastructure decisions are free speech decisions. Here’s what we tracked 🧵

"The ICE Out of Our Faces Act does one simple thing: It stops Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection from using facial recognition and other biometric-surveillance technologies. Period." - @markey.senate.gov

Craig Aaron of @freepress.bsky.social: ‘Trump wants to control the news and his justice department has been largely purged of anyone who might ask too many questions of a deal like this’ Via @sulliview.bsky.social @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

A View from the Field is an ongoing feature that highlights the efforts of Free Press' team of organizers and advocates as they work alongside our allies and activists to create a just and equitable media system. Check out the first in the series for 2026: www.freepress.net/blog/view-fi...

MA Senator @markey.senate.gov introduced the ICE Out of Our Faces Act, legislation that would ban ICE and CBP from using or acquiring biometric-surveillance tech and to allow individuals to sue for violations. Learn more: https://pressingissues.org/ed-markey-wants-ice-out-of-your-face/

"If quality local journalism is a public good — and it is — then we're going to have to support it with public dollars." From this edition of Pressing Issues by Free Press co-CEO @notaaroncraig.bsky.social: https://pressingissues.org/what-cicero-can-teach-us-about-making-better-media-policy/

Courts probably shouldn't rely on the government to understand the law and precedent, at least not this government. Via @techdirt.com: https://www.techdirt.com/2026/02/26/the-doj-forgot-to-mention-the-law-restricting-searches-of-journalists-the-judge-is-not-happy/

We know what it means if a family of pliant billionaires gets even more control: Fired journalists, important stories spiked, and empty propaganda replacing the news. "The idea that Paramount should be allowed to control CBS and CNN should be unthinkable." - @notaaroncraig.bsky.social via @wsj.com

"This deal endangers our democracy by giving a family of pliant billionaires even more control of vast swaths of our news coverage, TV stations and movie studios." - @notaaroncraig.bsky.social via @poynterinstitute.bsky.social

Trump’s billionaire allies will now own CNN, Fox News, CBS, WaPo, WSJ and NY Post — plus 185+ local tv stations and news in 100 markets. They also control X, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, WhatsApp, TikTok, Truth and Twitch. This is all by design to manipulate and surveil us. Pay attention.

"Inside CNN, alarm bells went off as staffers began to panic over the suddenly very real prospect that they could be working for Bari Weiss before the end of the year," reports @oliverdarcy.bsky.social. "'We are doomed,' one staffer candidly said. 'We are f**ked,' said another."

The new Ellison-controlled media combine will check the boxes for all three types of capture: capitalistic, oligarchic, and authoritarian. lpeproject.org/blog/the-ame...

Media consolidation is bad for democracy. A combined Netflix-WBD would have been bad. A combined Paramount/Skydance-WBD is even worse given Ellison's pattern of offering to censor viewpoints that Trump doesn't like in exchange for regulatory favors. www.cnbc.com/2026/02/26/w...

Senator Mike Lee -- totally sober & serious antitrust devotee that he is 🙃 -- had called a hearing in his subcommittee next week to discuss the Netflix bid again. So now, the only logical play is to do what his ranking member @booker.senate.gov called for and have a Paramount hearing, right? Right?

BREAKING: WBD decided to abandon plans to sell to Netflix in favor of a Paramount Skydance bid. "The Ellisons have promised Trump that they'll make sweeping changes to CNN, and we know what the means: firing journalists and replacing news with authoritarian propaganda." - @notaaroncraig.bsky.social

Not so far from over, after all. Block this deal! www.cnbc.com/2026/02/26/w...

Student journalists across the country show resilience every single day. But most still aren't afforded their full First Amendment press freedom rights. Free Press is proud to partner with the @splc.org for #StudentPressFreedom to stand for student journalists. Learn more: studentpressfreedom.org

"An under-the-radar, Trump-approved deal could create a broadcasting behemoth that controls local news stations across more than 40 states." - @jonallsop.bsky.social @notaaroncraig.bsky.social with @newyorker.com on the Nexstar-Tegna merger that would increase its reach to double Congress' limit:

The FCC must NOT approve a merger between Nexstar and Tegna. Tell the FCC to uphold the mandate to promote diversity, localism and competition in broadcasting. Do not approve this disastrous — and unlawful — merger. ADD your name to the petition:

With face-scanning technology and other forms of biometric surveillance, government agents are collecting unprecedented amounts of personal data on people in the United States with little-to-no oversight or accountability from Big Tech. Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey is trying to stop them. A 🧵 >

Spoke with @jonallsop.bsky.social @newyorker.com about the politics of the Nexstar-Tegna merger -- yes, a "media merger you should actually care about" -- and the dangers for local journalism and democracy as the FCC's Brendan Carr performs for Donald Trump, America's most dangerous channel surfer.

Once independent agencies, Trump appointees have transformed the FTC and FCC into instruments of ideological enforcement. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/24/opinion/fcc-ftc-free-speech-trump.html

We keep asking the wrong questions. "Who benefits?" When it comes to debates over public funding and the future of journalism — which only feel like they've been dragging on for two millennia — we're failing to make this fundamental inquiry. New from @notaaroncraig.bsky.social:

Musk's January output to his 200+ million followers displays consistent and explicit white supremacist content and nativist activists. "If you stripped Elon Musk's name and showed them to me, I would think that this was a white supremacist." - @heidibeirich.bsky.social @globalextremism.bsky.social

The Times needs to switch the order of its headlines

Building an unprecedented, 21st-century surveillance apparatus has been central to DHS’ mission since Congress created the agency after the 9/11 attacks — when it promptly began surveilling Muslim communities across the country. Let's review a brief history of the domestic surveillance empire. 🧵 >

Our presence is power — and so is our absence. "We're at a critical point in society where we need to decide between what is convenient and what is right — and we need to be willing to sacrifice our comfort to protect ourselves and each other. " - Free Press' Courtney Morrison

Free Press' @jgo4justice.bsky.social will join @pagegardner.bsky.social on March 2 for PSG Consulting's #FirstMondaysWebinar, “AI’s Impact on Shaping Public Opinion" to explore new research revealing the risks of political manipulation. Register here: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

"Anything they don't like, they want to control and they want to censor." - FCC Commissioner @agomezfcc.bsky.social https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/after-colbert-says-cbs-blocked-interview-fcc-commissioner-weighs-in-on-equal-time

ICE has expanded social-media surveillance, buying tools to build online dossiers on anyone with a public profile—part of a plan for a 24/7 monitoring team. @ruddock.bsky.social explains on @fairmediawatch.bsky.social's CounterSpin: fair.org/home/the-sta...

@freepress.bsky.social opposes this administration's retaliatory investigation into @mmfa.bsky.social. Today we joined an amicus brief to the DC Circuit opposing this chilling intimidation tactic, that threatens not just Media Matters, but free speech itself. theintercept.com/2026/02/23/p...

As the DHS continues to terrorize communities, the agency is busy buying more tools to surveil and target us. This week, the Senate will vote on whether DHS deserves another $64 billion dollars to do it. Here are some things to know from @ruddock.bsky.social as we call on Congress to DEFUND ICE:

Building an unprecedented, 21st-century surveillance apparatus has been central to DHS’ mission since Congress created the agency after the 9/11 attacks — when it promptly began surveilling Muslim communities across the country. Let's review a brief history of the domestic surveillance empire. 🧵 >

Free Press - very very good THE Free Press - very very bad THE Free Press is responsible for major media capitulation to Trump. Free Press fights against that, for example measuring media capitulation. www.freepress.net/who-owns-media

The Trump admin is putting us all in a chokehold, suffocating truth, freedom, diversity, civil rights & collective resistance. My @freepress.bsky.social report chronicles these attacks & how we reclaim our rights: www.freepress.net/attack-on-fr...

What does @freepress.bsky.social do? A lot, it turns out. New annual report just dropped — take a look! www.freepress.net/2025-annual-...

In 2025, Free Press and Free Press Action fought hard to combat authoritarianism, protect free speech, and expose the media and tech billionaires caving to the administration. Check out our annual report to see what we accomplished: https://www.freepress.net/2025-annual-report

2025 was a devastating year for our country — but it was also a time of collective resistance. Check out our annual report to learn how Free Press & Free Press Action stood up to the government figures & billionaires wreaking havoc on our democracy: https://www.freepress.net/2025-annual-report

So why wasn’t Talarico on Colbert? The FCC’s censor-in-chief, Brendan Carr, has weaponized the agency to go after major media entities that don’t serve Trump's propaganda machine. @timkarr.bsky.social explains why Carr’s ‘chilling effect’ is no laughing matter: pressingissues.org/missing-from...

Free Press is hiring a campaign manager! We value excellence and diversity in our work force. Candidate with a home office in Washington, D.C. is preferred, but will consider a home office in the continental U.S. within an hour of a major airport. Learn more:

CBS/Paramount lawyers forbade Colbert from airing his interview with Senate candidate James Talarico, fearing that it would violate the FCC's equal-time rule — even though the rule doesn’t apply to this format. If the rule doesn’t apply, why would the network self-censor? Good question! A 🧵:

CBS is fully protected under the First Amendment to determine what interviews it airs. That makes its decision to yield to political pressure all the more disappointing. Corporate interests cannot justify retreating from airing newsworthy content.

Student journalists provide an important public service to their communities by keeping them informed and holding the powerful accountable. That’s why we’re proud to partner with @splc.org for #StudentPressFreedom Day on Feb. 26. Learn more: studentpressfreedom.org

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It's not surprising given *gestures around*, but instead of ensuring that the most marginalized in our country have a scrap of connectivity, FCC Chairman Carr is engaging in a racist, deeply cynical and dangerous effort to further demonize immigrants. It's absolutely shameful.

Free Press joined @bentoninstitute.bsky.social to oppose the proposed changes to FCC's Lifeline program. "Access to affordable communications services is not negotiable in 2026. The ability to pick up a phone and call for help is a basic matter of public safety." - @heatherfranklin.bsky.social

"In an authentic democracy, diversity, equity and inclusion are not optional efforts we can opt in and out of; they are, instead, the very foundations of a free and fair society." - @rlivier.bsky.social https://www.freepress.net/blog/trump-attacks-dei-core-authentic-democracy

The threat is the point. "When a regulator publicly suggests that certain coverage could trigger scrutiny or consequences, people start to hesitate." - @agomezfcc.bsky.social Read more: www.freepress.net/blog/qa-fcc-...

Big Media is so FCC'ed up. @timkarr.bsky.social explains how, in other words, big media self-censorship in 2026 is very real and all it takes is a threat from the Trump administration for major networks to buckle. More from today's Pressing Issues: pressingissues.org/missing-from...

Here's an actual picture of Texas Democratic candidate James Talarico that CBS/Paramount lawyers forbade Stephen Colbert from airing last night out of fear that doing so would violate an FCC equal-time rule that doesn't actually apply to talk shows. Big media self-censorship is real.