Protecting Users' Rights To Free Expression And Preparing For The Extremely Exceptional Circumstance

Google's decision to block access to an anti-Islamic video in Libya and Egypt as a result of widespread violence highlights some of the complex challenges that face companies that host user-generated content. Companies that host such content must confront circumstances in which the nature of that content can have far-reaching effects ranging from affronts to cultural norms to difficult political and security challenges.

At the same time, restrictions on that content implicate users' rights to free expression. In this context, as Tim Wu, professor of law at Columbia University, observed in response to Google's action,"most free speech today has nothing to do with governments and everything to do with companies."