This blog is an academic exercise in which student contributors select a topic of their choosing to research and write. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this blog are the author’s only and do not reflect an official position of UAB or the Institute for Human Rights. As an institution of higher education that values and promotes free speech and civil discourse, we welcome a variety of perspectives and opinions from our student contributors. Learn more about UAB’s commitment to institutional neutrality and free speech. UAB students who would like to submit a post on human rights related topics, please email ihr@uab.edu and use “Blog Post” in the subject line.
Declaration of Social Media Rights
Five fundamental rights we need for a free, open, and humane social media ecosystem
About - Texas Freedom to Read
Texas Freedom to Read Project, launched in December 2023, seeks to connect, support & mobilize parent led groups fighting to protect students' right to read throughout the state.
'Technology Freedom Cooperative' To Build Infrastructure for Human Rights and Justice Groups
A conversation with Maheen Khan, director of technology at the Invisible Institute, and Patrick Ball, director of research at HRDAG.
The Civilian Impact of Drones: Unexamined Costs, Unanswered Questions | Center for Civilians in Conflict
This joint report from the Center for Civilians in Conflict and Columbia Law School’s Human Rights Clinic is an in-depth look at the US government’s covert drone program and its impact on civilian populations. Our objective is to critically assess US government procedures and standards for ensuring civilian protection and responding to civilian harm from…
Texas Tech University Is Using A.I. to Cut Left-Leaning Content
Texas Tech is using A.I. to cut left-leaning content in its curriculum. Some say the effort to ferret out forbidden topics is a dystopian academic nightmare.
The Corporation’s Neoliberal Soul? | Human Rights after Corporate Personhood
Human Rights after Corporate Personhood offers a rich overview of current debates, and seeks to transcend the "outrage response" often found in public discourse and corporate legal theory. Through ...
Human Rights Principles - Amazon Sustainability
Explore how we’re demonstrating support for fundamental human rights and the dignity of workers
Is Your Open Source Code Leading to Human Rights Violations? | Built In
The Ethical Source movement is questioning the central assumptions of open source culture.
[52] Menschplaining: Three Ideas for Civil Criticism
As bloggers, commentators, reviewers, and editors, we often criticize the work of fellow academics. In this post I share three ideas to be more civil and persuasive when doing so. But first: should…
We Deserve Better: A New Social Media Bill of Rights
Earlier this year, I was a part of a CNN documentary, Twitter: Breaking the Bird, which gave me much pause for reflection about the state of social media and how we got here. This year alone weR…
Activist Blogging Platform Shuts Down After Terrorism Designation - UNICORN RIOT
Washington DC — On August 26, 2026, the U.S. Departments of State and the Treasury designated a volunteer tech collective behind a popular activist blogging platform a terrorist organization. Autistici/Inventati (A/I), the Italian collective behind NoBlogs.org, now joins such organizations as the Islamic State group and al Qaeda on the list of Specially Designated Global […]
Big Tech tried to get young people addicted. Now we’re fighting back
Two seismic court decisions in the US have intervened where legislators have failed to defend social media users from exploitation, writes campaigner Zamaan Qureshi
Texas Age Verification Law Upheld: U.S. Supreme Court Balances Free Speech and Child Protection in the Digital Age | Data Matters Privacy Blog
On June 27, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion in Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Paxton, a groundbreaking decision with significant implications for online content regulation. The Court upheld […]
Students from all 50 states just drafted an #AIBillofRights. They named cheating, bias, privacy mental health, environmental costs and more. The civic grammar of AI rights is traveling and we're fortunate that young people are leading the way and writing it. the74million.org/article/students-convene-to-h…
Alondra Nelson
AI companies are writing their own constitutions. Meanwhile, a shared vocabulary for contesting algorithmic power has been traveling across red and blue states, from legislatures to civil society. New from me in @science.org: "A Civic Grammar for AI Rights" science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aeh7153 🧵