Free speech, fact checking, and the right to accurate information

True to his campaign promises, on 20 January 2025, US President Donald Trump signed a broad range of Executive Orders, the scope of which ranged from renaming the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America” to reinterpreting the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution by curtailing birthright citizenship. At least one order is relevant to social scientists studying political communication because it aims to “ restore freedom of speech and end federal censorship ” in online forums. At first glance, this is a laudable endeavor; who would disagree with bolstering freedom of speech? On closer inspection, however, this order is unlikely to live up to its stated intent. On the contrary, there are three reasons to fear that it may, ironically, have adverse implications for free speech and for democracy.