Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Facebook 'Likes' Aren't Protected Speech

Posted by Soulskill on from the don't-like-a-fire-in-a-crowded-theater dept.

An anonymous reader writes "In what may win awards for the silliest-sounding lawsuit of the year, a case about whether Facebook 'likes' qualify for free speech protection under the First Amendment has ended in a decisive 'no.' In the run-up to an election for Sheriff, some of the incumbent's employees made their support for the challenger known by 'liking' his page on Facebook. After the incumbent won re-election, the employees were terminated, supposedly because of budget concerns. The employees had taken a few other actions as well — bumper stickers and cookouts — but they couldn't prove the Sheriff was aware of them. The judge thus ruled that 'merely "liking" a Facebook page is insufficient speech to merit constitutional protection. In cases where courts have found that constitutional speech protections extended to Facebook posts, actual statements existed within the record.'"

4 of 214 comments (clear)

  1. Re:What kind of world... by mykos · · Score: 5, Funny
    Planet AMURICA.

    Corporations are people too, so suck it, you godless socialist atheist communist fascist Islamist!

  2. Judge Interviewed by rossz · · Score: 3, Funny

    When questioned by reporters, the judge responded, "My cousin^H^H^H^H^H^H The sheriff is a hard working public servant who had to make some tough budget choices."

    --
    -- Will program for bandwidth
  3. Come, come now by Kupfernigk · · Score: 1, Funny
    Florida seems to be one of those places in the world, like parts of London,UK, where killing black people isn't murder if the police don't think it is.

    However, I think the GP's "rigorous test" can possibly be summarised as:

    • 1. Are you white?
    • 2. Or, if you're a bit non-white, are you related to a lawyer?
    • 3. Or, if you're very non-white, are you a very rich rap artiste?
    --
    From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."
  4. Re:What kind of world... by arth1 · · Score: 4, Funny

    That would be Jamaica.

    "I Liked the sheriff
    but I did not Like his deputy..."