Thread

Feds Target AI Critics as "Foreign Agents"

396 points · 457 comments · nmeagent

loeg · 1790218511 · focus · HN ↗
> the Justice Department instructed “citizens and noncitizens” that anyone furthering the “goals” of a foreign power in “any public activity” — including even “public demonstrations” — must formally notify the government to avoid arrest and prosecution.
Citizens acting as foreign agents have always had to register that representation! This is not new to the Trump admin. FARA dates to 1938.
1. kennywinker · 1790220624 · focus · HN ↗
  the difference here is that regular citizens who act on their beliefs are being considered foreign agents if they have the wrong beliefs.
  This seems right out of the Red Scare, when normal everyday american socialists were treated as agents of the USSR.
  The term "witch hunt" was used then, because just like the historical witch hunts - an accusation alone was enough to find you guilty
  1. loeg · 1790223131 · focus · HN ↗
    No, this is something the article attempts to claim, but it is not true.
    kennywinker · 1790226438 · focus · HN ↗
    Not true yet. It seems pretty likely it’ll happen soon enough, given their track record of saying their going to abuse the law to go after a group - and then abusing the law to go after a group.
    loeg · 1790302992 · focus · HN ↗
    They can try. And just as in myriad other attempts at overreach, they will fail in the courts (on obvious 1A grounds, as others have already pointed out).
    kennywinker · 1790355553 · focus · HN ↗
    Sure it’ll be overturned. Tell that to these people:
    <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/jun/24/prairieland-texas-ice-protests-zines" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/jun/...
    And while you’re at it? Tell it to Renee Good and Alex Pretti

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