What We Do: Our Activities

Mapping the Free Speech Developments in the Czech Republic and Abroad

We are the key source of information on free speech restrictions on digital platforms

On our website, we publish information on digital censorship once a week in average and map the ongoing developments in the Czech Republic and internationally. Each month, we provide a summary of the most significant events in the Czech Republic, Europe, and the US. We are the most comprehensive Czech source of information on the restriction of free speech on digital platforms. We publish almost daily posts on Facebook (over 20,000 followers), Twitter/X (12,000 followers), LinkedIn (1,500 followers), Instagram, and TikTok. Our newsletter, issued 10 times a year, reaches 25,000 subscribers, with all past editions available in our archive. Recordings of our events can be found on YouTube (5,500 subscribers).

Documenting Cases of Censorship

In February 2021, we started systematically collect and analyze cases of censorship by social networks. The selection of nearly 1,000 processed and categorized cases has been submitted to Czech legislators for discussions with representatives of digital platforms operating in the Czech Republic. In response to the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and the proposed Digital Economy Act, we are preparing a new version of our online complaint form for Czech users.

Proposing and Opposing Legislative Measures

We educate MPs, senators, and MEPs on the risks posed by new forms of censorship

Our long-term goal is to push the government and legislators to adopt legal protections for free speech. That is why we engage with most political parties and their representatives. We successfully convinced MPs to approve the draft amendment on violations of free speech for a second reading, and in June 2021, we organized a seminar in the Chamber of Deputies on new forms of censorship, attended by legislators from several parties. Unfortunately, the legislative process was cut short due to the end of the parliamentary term. In 2023, we engaged in extensive discussions with the government’s disinformation and media commissioner, Michal Klíma, on the dangers of anti-disinformation legislation. We successfully convinced most governing parties to abandon both the Disinformation Action Plan and the drafting of a new disinformation law. We condemned the illegal blocking of more than twenty websites at the direct intervention of the Czech government and continue to monitor and comment on legislative efforts that could legitimize such actions in the future.

Comparing the Political Parties’ Stances Before Elections

Before the 2021 parliamentary elections, we asked all parliamentary parties five key questions on free speech. We analyzed their responses and relevant election program passages in a clear, comparative table with accompanying analysis, helping voters assess their positions. We conducted similar comparisons before the 2023 presidential elections, the 2024 European Parliament elections, and the second round of Senate elections.

Opposing the EU Legislative Proposals and Warning the Legislators

At the beginning of 2022 – while the Czech government still had an opportunity to take a stance – we published a detailed statement on the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), warning that these measures pose a significant threat to free speech in the Czech Republic. We were among the first to alert the public to the European Commission’s (EC) plan to classify so-called hate speech as a serious crime and strip member states of their authority to define what constitutes hate speech. We mobilized over a thousand critical responses from the Czech Republic on the EC’s website.

Raising Awareness About Free Speech in Broader Society

We organize our own events and participate in events hosted by our partners

We actively present our views in the media, participate in expert lectures and panel discussions, and host our own major public events. Since 2023, we have organized full-day expert conferences, lectures by distinguished international guests, annual award ceremonies, Conservative Camp, and more. Recordings are available in our extensive YouTube archive.

Awarding the Free Speech Champions

In 2024, we launched a year-long campaign to expand the debate on free speech and highlight individuals and organizations that consistently defend free expression and oppose cancel culture. The public was invited to nominate candidates via www.ZaSvoboduProjevu.cz. We received 6,376 valid nominations from 1,760 participants, covering 420 individuals and 330 projects or organizations. An independent jury selected 7+1 laureates. The awards ceremony took place at the Royal Theatre in Prague, with American journalist and writer Rod Dreher as a special guest.

Giving a Voice to Public Figures

In our survey series Napříč (Across the Spectrum), we invite well-known public figures to share their views on free speech. One edition featured a survey in which ten signatories of Charter 77 (former dissidents from Václav Havel’s circle) answered three questions about free speech (self-)censorship pressures. Other editions included responses from 30 influential figures, including former Czech presidents, respected academics, and journalists.

Commissioning the Representative Survey on Free Speech

We commissioned an exclusive, representative survey on free speech and so-called disinformation in Czech society (conducted in late February 2023 with 3,000 respondents). The results clearly show that public opinion contradicts the claims of activists financially invested in the “fight against disinformation” and the conclusions of surveys commissioned by the Ministry of Interior.

Encouraging Citizens to Support Petitions

The Petition Against Restrictions on Free Speech on Social Networks

Our online petition against restrictions on free speech on social networks was signed by nearly 26,000 people. In June 2022, we personally presented it to the Petitions Committee of the Chamber of Deputies and the Subcommittee on Media and Free Speech. In December 2022, we spoke at a public hearing in the Petitions Committee. The petition was further discussed in April 2023 at a public hearing in the Media Committee and in May 2023 at a Senate seminar.

Our Open Letter to the Prime Minister Against Politicizing the Ministry of Interior

In 2023, on the Human Rights Day, we sent an open letter – signed by over 50 public figures- to the Prime Minister, Petr Fiala, urging him to take a clear stand for free speech and against politicizing the Ministry of Interior’s censorship efforts. Over 3,000 citizens signed our letter.

Other Activities

Holding Fact-Checkers Accountable

We publish a series of articles titled Watching the Watchmen, where we check the fact-checkers’ verdicts, revealing frequent errors and highly subjective decisions on whom and what to challenge.

International Cooperation & Hosting Foreign Experts

We have established cooperation with The Free Speech Union in the UK. Its founder and director, Toby Young (a member of the House of Lords), joined us in Prague to launch our public nomination process for the Free Speech Awards and participated in our press conference. Other key collaborators include American journalist and Twitter Files investigator Michael Shellenberger, who delivered a lecture in Prague, and American author Rod Dreher, who took part in a private event with SOSP partners). We have actively participated in major international conferences, including NatCon in London & Brussels and CPAC in Budapest. Additionally, we were the first in the Czech Republic to report on Poland’s proposed law against digital censorship and Hungary’s Digital Freedom Committee.

We Take No Government Grants and Are Proud of It

We do not receive any government grants or subsidies. Our project is funded exclusively through the support of our private partners and thousands of small donors. We would be grateful if you supported us, too – or you can buy a gift from our e-shop.