Campus free speech was in trouble in 2018, and the data shows worsening

Scope of the Campus Free-Speech Problem

• Some see rising “deplatforming attempts” as evidence of a real free-speech decline, citing dozens of annual incidents and a growing trend.
• Others argue the raw numbers (tens per year) are tiny relative to total campus events, and may be inflated by loose definitions and selective focus on right-leaning complaints.
• A few think the whole narrative is largely driven by conservative provocateurs who lose access to lucrative campus “grifts.”

What Counts as Deplatforming?

• Several commenters criticize the article’s and database’s definitions as vague: heckling, rescinded invitations, protests, or administrative removals are all mixed together.
• Some say these categories blur ordinary dissent and disorderly conduct with actual suppression of speech.
• Others respond that the methodology is spelled out and that shouting down in-progress events and disinvitations are meaningful indicators, even if still contested.

Protest vs. Censorship

• One camp views loud protest and disruptions as legitimate free speech of students, especially against speakers they see as trolls, bigots, or bad-faith actors.
• Another camp stresses that shouting down prevents others from hearing, and thus functions as censorship rather than counterspeech; they suggest boycotts or separate events instead.
• There is disagreement over whether deplatforming attempts themselves are an exercise of free speech or an effort to deny it to others.

Which Speech Should Be Out of Bounds?

• Some argue communities are right to block “fascists,” racists, transphobes, and similar ideologies, invoking the “tolerance of intolerance” problem and harm to vulnerable groups.
• Others worry that labels like “hate,” “grifter,” or “reactionary” are applied too loosely, and that once disagreement is enough to justify exclusion, almost any unpopular view can be targeted.
• Calls for explicit violence are broadly seen as a red line; there is debate about nonviolent but harmful misinformation (e.g., anti-vaccine claims).

Power, History, and Academia

• Multiple comments note historical suppression of Black people, socialists, and union organizers, arguing that “protected free speech” has always been uneven at best.
• There is a side debate over whether inconsistently protected rights are “real” rights at all.
• Some claim modern academia is dominated by leftist dogmatism with chilling effects in areas like genetics; others counter that academia is globally diverse and that both left and right seek to deplatform opponents.