Substack says it’ll legally defend writers ‘targeted by the government’

Substack plans to support overseas writers “residing lawfully” successful the US who whitethorn beryllium targeted by the authorities for what they write. The institution is partnering with the nonprofit Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) to supply ineligible enactment to impacted writers — whether they people connected Substack oregon not — citing caller attacks connected escaped speech.

In their announcement, Substack and FIRE notation the planetary Tufts University pupil who was arrested by national agents past week. Her ineligible squad links her arrest to an opinion piece she co-wrote for the school’s paper past year, which criticized Tufts for failing to comply with requests to divest from companies with connections to Israel. “If true, this represents a chilling escalation successful the government’s effort to people critics of American overseas policy,” Substack and FIRE write.

The inaugural builds connected Substack’s Defender program, which already offers ineligible assistance for autarkic journalists and creators connected the platform. The institution says it has supported “dozens” of Substack writers facing claims of defamation and trademark infringement since it launched the programme successful the US successful 2020. It has since brought Substack Defender to writers successful Canada and the UK. 

It’s not wide if the programme besides extends to the videos that writers station connected Substack, which users can present presumption successful a TikTok-like feed. Substack is urging writers who whitethorn beryllium “targeted” by the authorities to get successful interaction with FIRE oregon Substack.