News & Analysis as of

Free Speech Social Media

Hogan Lovells

A win for online speech in Patterson v. Meta

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On July 28, 2025, a New York state appellate court ruled that Section 230 of the Communications Act of 1934 bars claims against online platforms based on user-generated content made accessible through the platforms'...more

Morrison & Foerster LLP - Social Media

Social Links: Warnings, Watch Time, and Ghosts in the Feed

YouTube TV is thriving, and its rivals want a piece of the action. Recently, media ratings giant Nielsen confirmed that YouTube is now not only the most-watched streaming service in the United States, but also the...more

Morrison & Foerster LLP - Social Media

Social Links: Clickbait, Court Dates, and the Beige Apocalypse

This odyssey began when an old laptop was discovered by a curious 14-year-old boy in Kansas. The boy, known only as “QR,” used it to sneak onto a handful of adult websites over two months last year, racking up 118 virtual...more

Franczek P.C.

Federal Appellate Court Finds that School Board President Violated First Amendment in Restricting Followers on Social Media

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The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which governs federal districts in the West/Northwest, recently held that a California school board member violated the First Amendment when blocking users’ ability to access...more

Snell & Wilmer

Ninth Circuit Holds School Board Trustee Liable for Blocking Public Comments on Her Social Media Account

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Recently, the Ninth Circuit had the opportunity to apply the U.S. Supreme Court’s test laid out in Lindke v. Freed (March 2024) to determine whether a public official’s use of social media is state action subject to First...more

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

Arkansas’ Kids Social Media Law: Another One Bites the Dust

Arkansas’ second attempt at regulating minor’s access to social media – in the form of the Social Media Safety Act (SB 689) – has again been struck down as unconstitutional. The court permanently enjoined the state from...more

Hinckley Allen

Connecticut Supreme Court Protects Free Speech in Online Racism Dispute

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Amidst an increasingly polarized social climate that often manifests on social media, the Connecticut Supreme Court recently affirmed that calling someone on Facebook a “racist” or “white supremacist” could not be the basis...more

Rumberger | Kirk

Court Finds School Board Erred in Punishing Teacher for Political Activity on Social Media

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Florida’s Fifth District Court of Appeal (“Fifth DCA”) recently determined the Duval County School Board erred when it disciplined a teacher for politically-charged social media posts made in the run-up to the 2020...more

Fox Rothschild LLP

How Will the FTC Approach AI Under the Trump Administration?

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Federal Trade Commission Commissioner Melissa Holyoak spoke last week at a conference in Miami about “a new season at the FTC.” What can we learn from Holyoak’s comments about the FTC’s plans for AI regulation and free...more

Shipman & Goodwin LLP

See You In Court - February 2025

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Social media has made it much easier to disseminate hurtful criticisms about teachers, principals, superintendents and even board of education members, and the good people of Nutmeg are no exception....more

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

President Trump’s Freedom of Speech Order Takes Aim at Social Media, Broadcasters

President Donald Trump’s Executive Order titled, “Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship” is the Administration’s first step to pursue the President’s content moderation goals for social media and broadcast...more

Robinson+Cole Data Privacy + Security Insider

After Supreme Court Upholds Ban, Trump Issues EO Giving TikTok an Extension

Despite bipartisan support for banning TikTok – essentially spyware presenting a national security threat from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) – in the United States (as done by India) and the Supreme Court’s upholding...more

Troutman Pepper Locke

Missouri AG Announces New Rule for Big Tech

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Missouri’s attorney general (AG) announced on X.com (formerly Twitter) that he is “issuing a rule requiring Big Tech to guarantee algorithmic choice for social media users.” [X.com post (January 17, 2025, roughly 3:35 p.m....more

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship

This order limits the federal government’s ability and the use of taxpayer resources to abridge free speech of American citizens and to take action to correct prior incidents of suppression. It also directs investigation into...more

Kohrman Jackson & Krantz LLP

Ohio Senate Bill 206 Seeks to Expand School Discipline for Conduct on Social Media

Ohio Senate Bill 206, (SB 206) introduced in 2024, calls for students who post threatening content on social media to be punished with expulsion from school for up to 180 days. The bill defines the proposed prohibited conduct...more

Wiley Rein LLP

Maintaining Civility Post-Election – Guardrails on Employee Political Speech

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Election season is officially over, but the tension surrounding discussions about the candidates and the issues in American society is unlikely to end soon. That tension is extending beyond dinner tables and social...more

Amundsen Davis LLC

Democratizing the Defense to Doxing: New Attorney Fee Awards for Victims Alters Paradigm

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Defamation is the line between free and unlawful speech. Doxing is the disclosure of another’s personally identifiable information with the intent to bring the internet’s violent speech to their front door. Online defamation...more

Dickinson Wright

The Freedom—and Limits—of Political Speech in the Workplace

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With the 2024 election quickly approaching, employers should expect an increase in political conversation and activity in the workplace. It is essential during political seasons for both employers and employees to understand...more

Kohrman Jackson & Krantz LLP

TikTok on the Chopping Block: Will the U.S. Ban the Popular Social Media App?

On September 16, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit heard oral arguments in the seminal case of TikTok, Inc. v. Garland, which centers around the potential ban of TikTok under the Protecting...more

Adams & Reese

As Election Nears, How Do State Laws Impact Employers’ Policing of Social Media Posts by Employees?

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With a highly divisive U.S. Presidential Election between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris just weeks away, political social media posts have inundated newsfeeds. But what happens when a post goes too far, and/or an employee’s...more

Littler

A Case Study on the First Amendment Defense for Entertainment Industry Employers

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The First Amendment traditionally offers robust protections for expressive employers, such as those in the entertainment and media industries, allowing them to control casting and messaging. In California, however, these...more

Pillsbury - Internet & Social Media Law Blog

In the Supreme Court’s NetChoice Rulings, the Court Leaves the Door Open for Future Social Media Content Moderation Regulations

Are social media companies more like newspapers or phone companies? This oft-debated question in social media legal circles, while seemingly trivial on the surface, represents a momentous debate over whether—and how...more

Pillsbury - Internet & Social Media Law Blog

In Murthy v. Missouri, SCOTUS Focus on Plaintiff Standing Sidesteps Underlying, Larger First Amendment Questions

A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision may have substantial effects on social media censorship. Based on their content-moderation policies, social media platforms have taken actions to suppress certain categories of speech,...more

Morgan, Brown & Joy, LLP

The First Circuit Court of Appeals Finds A Public School Teacher’s Social Media Posts Are Not Constitutionally-Protected Speech

On June 28, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit issued MacRae v. Mattos, a case involving a public school teacher’s First Amendment speech rights. Shortly before being hired as a teacher at Hanover High...more

Bilzin Sumberg

Supreme Court’s Social Media Ruling Tilts Toward Free Speech

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The US Supreme Court this month declined to rule on whether Florida and Texas laws limiting social media platforms’ content moderation violates the First Amendment, sending the issue back to the lower courts. But in doing so,...more

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