Protections against lawsuits restricting speech grow

In a new record high, more Americans than ever have protections from SLAPP lawsuits, a type of lawsuit that targets speech.

Some states are still without such laws, however, leaving resident vulnerable to malicious lawsuits.

These changes come as SLAPP suits become increasingly prominent in high-profile cases.

Laws protecting Americans from expensive lawsuits threatening to restrict their free speech have risen across the country over the past seven years, though 12 states still offer no such protections, according to a report from a leading free speech organization.

The Institute for Free Speech’s Anti-SLAPP Report Card analyzes state laws that protect individuals from “Strategic Lawsuit(s) Against Public Participation”— more commonly known as “SLAPP” suits.

SLAPP suits are a type of