Substack says it’ll legally defend writers ‘targeted by the government’
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Summary
Substack is to offer legal support to writers who may face prosecution as a result of US government action, in a partnership with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).
The initiative has been set up in response to the arrest of Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk, who criticised the university’s investment policies in an article for the campus newspaper.
Whilst Ozturk’s attorney claims that the arrest is in response to the article, the US government has yet to confirm whether this is the case.
The program offers legal support to writers who have criticism aimed at them from the government, whether they publish on Substack or not.
Substack has supported dozens of writers accused of defamation or trademark infringement since launching the programme in the US in 2020.