The First Amendment protects speech on social media platforms that have been designated as public forums by government officials or agencies. Government officials cannot block individuals from accessing their social media pages simply because the government dislikes or disagrees with their speech. Read more about our work protecting citizen speech here.
Our Work
Clinic litigates social media blocking case against City of Morrow
The University of Georgia School of Law’s First Amendment Clinic is litigating a federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Morrow, Georgia for blocking Aaron Booterbaugh from the City’s Facebook Page after he posted comments critical of the City’s Mayor and City Manager.
Keep ReadingNorins & Hamilton address digital free speech issues
Speaking to audiences on both coasts, Clinic director Clare R. Norins and Clinic attorney Samantha Hamilton respectively unpacked some of the digital free speech issues to be decided during the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023-2024 term.
Keep ReadingClinic provides training on speech rights and media law to audiences around the state
During the Fall 2023 semester, the University of Georgia School of Law’s First Amendment Clinic trained students, journalists, local officials, law enforcement, and engaged citizens on a variety of speech and media law topics.
Keep ReadingNorins & Bailey’s social-media-blocking article cited in U.S. Supreme Court briefs
The article posits that ambiguities in how government officials use their private campaign social media accounts after winning election should be resolved in favor of finding the First Amendment applies.
Keep ReadingClinic successfully advocates to restore citizen’s access to Burke County Sheriff’s Facebook page
After receiving a demand letter from the University of Georgia School of Law’s First Amendment Clinic, the Burke County Sheriff’s Office restored Mrs. Traci Hollingsworth’s access to their official Facebook page from which she had been blocked for over two years.
Keep ReadingBohanan v. Robinson
The First Amendment Clinic settled a lawsuit against Douglas County Commissioner Kelly G. Robinson for blocking a county resident from his interactive Facebook page that he used to communicate with the public about his official activities after she criticized his response to constituent concerns.
Keep ReadingOnline censorship: public officials blocking citizens on social media
A critical mass of courts — including the three Circuit Court of Appeals to have so far addressed the issue — find that it constitutes unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination in violation of the First Amendment for a public official who operates an interactive social media account in their capacity as a state actor to deny individuals access to that account based on dislike of or disagreement with their speech.
Keep ReadingClinic presents to Georgia municipal attorneys & public officials on social media blocking
On September 17, 2020, the First Amendment Clinic presented to over 100 Georgia municipal attorneys on the current state of the law regarding public officials blocking constituents on social media.
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