13.02.2025 / Perspectives

Author: Anamaria Csutak

Freedom of speech represents everyone’s right to express their thoughts, ideas, and opinions freely, without fear of being stopped or oppressed, as long as they do not harm anyone or anything.

For me, freedom of expression is one of the most important human rights. Many people are afraid to say things that might offend, so as not to disturb or create a misconception about what they think.

How many artists have stopped making art out of fear of being misunderstood? No matter what we think about what others do or say, it is their right to express themselves, whether we understand them or not.

How can you stop someone from exercising that right? Well, very easily. Many political dictatorships have, through fear and propaganda, stopped people from expressing themselves freely. For example, the KGB, the Ceausescu-era Securitate, the Gestapo, the Stasi, etc. What do they all have in common? The imposition of fear to express yourself freely, to say what is wrong, to upset or annoy someone in power, or to simply think freely.

We must not let all this come back. It is our duty to take care of our rights.

It is our right to express ourselves, at the assumed risk of upsetting or annoying others. So, this right of ours also has limits. For example, freedom of expression stops when it comes to bullying.

Departments: FRI Media Lab; Society, Crisis, and Resilience Program; Policy Analysis and Outreach Department; Center on Global Affairs and Post Development.

Regions: Global.

Themes:  Civic Engagement; Civil Society; Communism and Totalitarianism; Democracy and Democratization; Freedom of Expression; Human Rights; Media and Journalism.