WLF’s new one-minute video, “The Plain Meaning: Compelled Speech,” continues our video shorts series’ focus on commercial speech. The video explains that the First Amendment not only protects the right to speak, but also the right not to speak. In the commercial context, that means the First Amendment provides some protection against government mandates forcing businesses to make verbal or printed statements about their products or services against their will. When taking action against “disfavored” products, regulators and legislators will more often seek to chill demand for a product, rather than ban it, by imposing disclosure mandates on businesses.

The Compelled Speech video can be viewed below: