"The author addresses one of the most pressing issues in modern American life: the pervasiveness of lies, the constitutional protection they enjoy, the harm that they cause, and how to combat them. The two most recent presidential elections, the battle against the coronavirus, and the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol demonstrate the power of lies, their pervasiveness online, and the damage that they can inflict"-- Provided by publisher.

Introduction --Part I. Why the law protects falsehoods -- Marketplace -- Democracy -- Sunlight -- Truth -- Uncertainty -- Opinion -- Responsibility -- Efficacy -- Part II. Regulating falsehoods? -- The scope of the problem -- When regulation or liability is not the answer -- When regulation or liability might be an answer -- Part III. Empowering rationality -- Counterspeech and self-help -- Intermediaries -- Accountability -- Demand -- Conclusion.