Freedom of speech abridged? - cultural, legal and philosophical challenges

Freedom of expression and freedom of the press has become an issue that creates controversies all over the world in a manner unthinkable at the beginning of the 21st century. Authoritarian regimes stifle free expression, and religious groups challenge its foundations. It is threatened even in democratic societies through escalated security measures passed under the pretext of securing just those basic liberties among which freedom of expression is central. These challenges are the backdrop for the publication Freedom of Speech Abridged?