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04/24/2023

SCOTUS to Decide if Public Officials can Block Critics on Social Media

This is likely a violation of First Amendment rights, many argue

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS), exploring free speech rights in the social media era, on Monday agreed to consider whether the Constitution's First Amendment bars government officials from blocking their critics on platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

The justices took up an appeal by two members of a public school board from the city of Poway in Southern California of a lower court's ruling in favor of school parents who sued after being blocked from Facebook pages and a Twitter account maintained by the officials.

The justices also took up an appeal by a Michigan man of a lower court's ruling against him after he sued a city official in Port Huron who blocked him on Facebook following critical posts made by the plaintiff about the local government's COVID-19 response.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Reuters.

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