Social Media, First Amendment, and Government: The New Rules of Engagement

Social media, email, text messaging and similar communication technologies are transforming governments into a more efficient, effective and dynamic process. Whether it is an elected official using Twitter to address constituents or a city using a Facebook page to make public announcements, entities are becoming more accessible and connected to constituents. While the Supreme Court recognizes the need to apply First Amendment legal theory to modern technology, it has not yet taken the opportunity to rule on the contours of whether, and to what extent, public officials may block or delete comments from their social media accounts.

In the September issue of Western City Magazine, Meyers Nave attorneys Deborah Fox and Margaret Rosequist published an article discussing this issue and new territory of law. Click here to view the full article.