Scholarship@WashULaw

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2021

Publication Title

U.C. Davis Law Review

Abstract

A quarter century ago, Eugene Volokh’s article Cheap Speech and What It Will Do foretold a new regime of technologically driven “cheap speech” that would fundamentally change how people communicated with one another and navigated the information ecosystem. Professor Volokh’s vision was mainly descriptive, and his normative assessment of cheap speech sounded some circumspect notes of warning. Fundamentally, though, he painted an optimistic picture. In particular, he made the important claim that emerging technologies would democratize and diversify our society by giving many more speakers access to the tools of mass communication and audiences access to many more ideas.

Keywords

Cheap Speech, Democracy, Free Speech

Publication Citation

Gregory P. Magarian, How Cheap Speech Underserves and Overheats Democracy, 54 U.C. Davis L. Rev. 2455 (2021)

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