A free speech advocacy group on Tuesday called on Rep. Thomas MassieThomas Harold MassieOcasio-Cortez criticizes Boebert Christmas tree and guns photo First Amendment group calls on Rep. Massie to unblock critics on Twitter Press: GOP freak show: Who's in charge? MORE (R-Ky.) to restore access to Twitter users who were blocked from his official account amid a backlash to a controversial family photograph the congressman tweeted.
In a four-page letter, the Knight First Amendment Institute pointed Massie to court rulings that interpreted government officials Twitter accounts to be public forums, and said blocking followers due to their critical views violated constitutional speech protections.
Multiple courts have held that public officials social media accounts constitute public forumswhen they are used in the way that you use the @RepThomasMassie account, and they have made clear that public officials violate the First Amendment when they block users from these fora on the basis of viewpoint, reads the letter from the Institute, which is housed at Columbia University.
Massie sparked outrage last week when he tweeted a Christmas card photograph depicting himself and family members clutching AR-15-style semi-automatic rifles and other firearms just days after a deadly school shooting in Michigan. The shooting renewed calls by lawmakers and advocates for gun control legislation.
"Merry Christmas!" Massie's tweet said, adding, "ps. Santa, please bring ammo."
The post drew widespread condemnation on Twitter, apparently prompting Massie or the manager of his account to block critics.
Among those blocked were Mike Masnick, founder and editor-in-chief of the tech policy website Techdirt, whom the Knight Institute is representing in the matter.
Attempts to reach Massies office were not immediately returned.
A major First Amendment court clash over government officials blocking of Twitter critics arose under former President TrumpDonald TrumpOn The Money Senate risks Trump's ire with debt ceiling deal Bank regulator erupts in partisan split as Democrats go rogue Biden to appear on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' on Friday MORE.
Lower federal courts found that Trumps Twitter account, where he often weighed in on official matters, constituted a public forum and that blocking his detractors violated their free speech rights.
The Trump administration had asked the Supreme Court to take up its appeal in the case. But following Trumps 2020 electoral loss and his ban from Twitter, his administration dropped its request on the eve of President BidenJoe BidenNicaragua breaks diplomatic relations with Taiwan, recognizes Chinese sovereignty Biden reassures Ukraine's Zelensky of U.S. support amid Russian aggression On The Money Senate risks Trump's ire with debt ceiling deal MOREs inauguration, arguing that the change in administrations would make the case moot.
See the rest here:
First Amendment group calls on Rep. Massie to unblock critics on Twitter | TheHill - The Hill
- Trump: First Amendment protects efforts to overturn election - USA TODAY - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- To Fight Ban Bill, TikTok's Best Hopes Lie in First Amendment Challenge - The Information - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Supreme Court must rely on the First Amendment, not its own precedent, when deciding government censorship case - Washington Examiner - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- FIRST AMENDMENT VIOLATION?: Man removed from Cape council meeting files lawsuit - FOX 4 News Fort Myers WFTX - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Trump team's First Amendment argument is 'so weak' in Georgia election interference case - MSNBC - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Trump's team cites First Amendment in contesting charges in Georgia election interference case - The Associated Press - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- A national TikTok ban and the First Amendment - National Constitution Center - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Trump attorney says Georgia election case hinges on First Amendment Deseret News - Deseret News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Trump's team cites First Amendment in contesting charges in Georgia election interference case - The Atlanta Journal Constitution - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Courts Should Affirm First Amendment Rights of Youths in the Digital Age: The Case for a 21stCentury Tinker - Cato Institute - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Trump legal news brief: Prosecutors tell Judge McAfee that First Amendment doesn't apply to Trump's 'criminal intentions' - Yahoo! Voices - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Trump attorney tries to have Georgia case dismissed on First Amendment grounds - MSNBC - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Trump attorney, prosecutors spar over move to have Georgia case dismissed on First Amendment grounds - 11Alive.com WXIA - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Donald Trump Georgia court motions hearing today live stream - 11Alive.com WXIA - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Trump's team cites First Amendment in contesting charges in Georgia election interference case - Bowling Green Daily News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- First Amendment protects Trump from Fani Williss election interference charges, attorney argues - Washington Examiner - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Judicial Rulemaking and Lucidity: Justice Barrett's First Amendment Opinion in Lindke v. Freed - American Enterprise Institute - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- First Amendment protects Trump from Fani Willis's election interference charges, attorney argues - Colorado Springs Gazette - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Trump's team cites First Amendment in contesting election interference charges - Southernminn.com - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Trump's team cites First Amendment in contesting charges in Georgia election interference case - messenger-inquirer - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Lawyers for the State argue against Trump First Amendment challenge in Georgia case - 11Alive.com WXIA - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- OPINION: The possible TikTok ban is an infringement on our First Amendment rights - The Suffolk Journal - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Trump's team cites First Amendment in contesting charges in Georgia election interference case - Times Daily - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- An iPhone, YouTube & the First Amendment: Man in St Louis tests boundaries of constitution through videos - First Alert 4 - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Lawyer argues Georgia election RICO case against Trump be dismissed over First Amendment - 11Alive.com WXIA - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Abridging, Not Coercing, Is The First Amendment's Yardstick for Speech Violations - Reason - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Judge hears Trump's First Amendment challenge to Georgia charges: Watch live - Yahoo Singapore News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Trump's attorney says election inference case should be thrown out over 1st Amendment protections - Yahoo! Voices - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Judge hears Trump's First Amendment challenge to Georgia charges: Watch live - AOL - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Judge sets new hearing date in 2020 Georgia election interference case - 11Alive.com WXIA - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Biden Wants To Avoid a First Amendment Showdown Over WikiLeaks - Reason - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson raises eyebrows with comment that First Amendment 'hamstrings' government - Fox News - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- West Texas drag show becomes a First Amendment battleground - The Texas Tribune - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- Requiring ugly images of smoking's harm on cigarettes won't breach First Amendment, court says - The Associated Press - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- The First Amendment, the Fourth Amendment, and Substantial Encouragement - Reason - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- News/Media Alliance Joins Brief Defending First Amendment Editorial Rights of Documentarians - News/Media Alliance - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- The State of the First Amendment: Free Speech - University of Colorado Boulder - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- Justices Seem Likely to Side With N.R.A. in First Amendment Dispute - The New York Times - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh loses patience with the judiciarys far right - Vox.com - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- Justice Jackson ripped for worrying about the First Amendment 'hamstringing' government: 'Literally the point' - Fox News - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- Analysis: SCOTUS Oral Arguments Bode Well For NRA First Amendment Claim [Member Exclusive] - The Reload - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- Supreme Court to hear First Amendment challenge to New York's financial 'blacklisting' of NRA - Fox News - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- NRA Goes To The Supreme Court Today In First Amendment CaseHere's What To Know - Forbes - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- Supreme Court to hear case of former Castle Hills councilwoman who claims First Amendment rights were violated - KSAT San Antonio - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- Supreme Court to hear arguments in key First Amendment case challenging Biden admin teamwork with Big Tech - Fox News - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- "Black Lives Mat[t]er" + "Any Life" Drawing "Not Protected by the First Amendment" in First Grade - Reason - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- Requiring ugly images of smoking's harm on cigarettes won't breach First Amendment, court says - KXLY Spokane - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- Supreme Court hears free speech case that united the NRA and the ACLU - The Washington Post - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- Supreme Court Wary of States' Bid to Limit Federal Contact With Social Media Companies - The New York Times - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- Opinion: A First Amendment Fizzle at the U.S. Supreme Court - The Atlanta Journal Constitution - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- The First Amendment is under attack in Americas Oceania - Washington Examiner - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- Education Institutions Grapple With Overlap of First Amendment and Anti-Discrimination Laws - JD Supra - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- Requiring ugly images of smoking's harm on cigarettes won't breach First Amendment, court says - The Caledonian-Record - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- Note to Justice Jackson: First Amendment Should Hamstring Biden - Daily Signal - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- Requiring ugly images of smoking's harm on cigarettes won't breach First Amendment, court says - KEYT - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- The First Amendment Supreme Court case right wingers are crazy for - The Independent - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- Ketanji Brown Jackson concerned First Amendment is hamstringing government from censorship - Washington Examiner - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- Justice Jackson: First Amendment "Hamstringing" Federal Response To "Threatening Circumstances, From The ... - RealClearPolitics - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- Opinion: Sen. Chuck Grassley should stand up for the First Amendment and support the PRESS Act - The Gazette - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- The Supreme Court must protect the First Amendment in Murthy v. Missouri - Washington Examiner - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- A Hillsborough judge invokes the First Amendment in a case related to a 2022 election campaign - WMNF - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- John Stockton's lawyer claims first amendment violation as basis for COVID-19 lawsuit - KXLY Spokane - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Scientology Scores A First Amendment Win Over Leah Remini, But Harassment Claims Against Church Still Stand, Judge Rules - Deadline - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Supreme Court to hear First Amendment cases, weigh in on Texas immigration law - MSN - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- 7 Expert Takeaways As the Supreme Court Considers Government Influence on Content Moderation - Just Security - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Conflict between First Amendment and discrimination on Broadway | Strictly Legal - The Cincinnati Enquirer - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Maryland fraternities petition federal judge - Baltimore Sun - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Supreme Court to debate whether White House crosses First Amendment line on social media disinformation - News-Press Now - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Broadway Actors Race Discrimination Claims Sent Back to the Underworld in the Face of Producers First Amendment ... - JD Supra - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Congress Should Give Up on Unconstitutional TikTok Bans - EFF - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- U.S. House Votes in Favor of TikTok Ban Bill Amid First Amendment and Other Questions - Democracy Now! - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Review of Amicus Briefs Filed in Murthy v. Missouri Before the Supreme Court | TechPolicy.Press - Tech Policy Press - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Supreme Court defines when it's illegal for public officials to block social media critics - The Verge - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Doctor sues state of WA for his First Amendment rights - KXLY Spokane - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- ACLU To Defend NRA as Supreme Court Weighs Whether New York Violated Gun Group's First Amendment Rights - The New York Sun - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- U.Va. alumna settles First Amendment lawsuit against the University after her expulsion in abeyance - University of Virginia The Cavalier Daily - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- The Oregonian/OregonLive wins First Amendment ruling in Nike documents case - OregonLive - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Progressive attacks on the US constitution escalate - UnHerd - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Artificial intelligence: Tennessee ELVIS Act threatens First Amendment - Tennessean - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Eighth Circuit: Fun With the First Amendment - Law.com - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]