When should software lose free speech protections?

This podcast covers software and the First Amendment, tracing the history from Cold War export controls to recent restrictions on advanced AI models.

My goal: the internet's most comprehensive explainer on speech and code, from cryptography to cryptocurrency to AI.

In this episode, you'll hear from leading experts on the legal layer of software and free speech:

Peter Van Valkenburgh, Executive Director at Coin Center
Laz Pieper, Director of Research at Coin Center
Eugene Volokh, First Amendment scholar and Fellow at the Hoover Institution
Jane Bambauer, Brechner Eminent Scholar at the University of Florida
Preston Byrne, Managing Partner at Byrne & Storm
Sam Enzer, partner at Cahill Gordon & Reindel and co-chair of CahillNXT

By the end of this episode, I promise you'll be in the top percentile for understanding when code is protected speech, regardless of where you're starting from. (You just might need to listen twice. There's a lot here.)

This episode is presented by Altitude, visit Altitude.xyz/law to learn more about their financial operating system.

Timestamps:

0:00 Anthropic AI export controls

6:17 Introduction

9:39 Reading the First Amendment

10:38 Eugene Volokh on his First Amendment philosophy

13:42 The machine gun sculpture: speech vs function

19:24 Peter Van Valkenburgh interview

25:50 The Cold War, munitions list and Phil Zimmermann

29:57 The Bernstein case

34:53 Strict scrutiny

38:48 The Corley case

49:17 Sorrell, Stevens and where the Supreme Court is heading

53:25 Preston Byrne on the Supreme Court's AI case

57:23 Defense Distributed and 3D-printing

1:04:00 Where publication ends and professional conduct begins

1:15:20 Lowe v. SEC and the agency line

1:45:45 Compelled speech, the IRS broker rule and tobacco labels

2:04:17 Laz Pieper on Sorrell and third-party liability

2:11:29 Preston Byrne on the GRANITE Act and foreign censorship

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Sponsors: Thank you to the Hyperliquid Policy Center and Solana Policy Institute for supporting this podcast.

To get in touch with the Cahill team about how any issues discussed in this episode apply to your situation, email mtomsky@cahill.com. Subscribe to Cahill's free client alerts on digital assets and emerging technology at https://www.cahill.com/news/index?search=1&practice=litigation-digital-assets-and-emerging-technology.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or investment advice. Views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of their employers. Listening to this podcast does not create an attorney-client relationship.