Tuesday, May 29, 2018
#FREESPEECH IN THE NEWS: MAY 29, 2018
As the Citadel of Free Speech here in Cleveland, we work to protect and promote the basis of our democracy by sharing related stories, commentary, and opinions on free speech in the 21st century. Here's what's making the news – and what you should know about – in the past week.
1.) Should Bots Have a Right to Free Speech? This Non-Profit Thinks So.
A non-profit organization believes robots should have the right to free speech.
The Electronic Freedom Foundation, which was created to protect civil liberties in the digital age, is critical of the B.O.T. Act. The B.O.T. Act, or the Bolstering Online Transparency Act of 2018, was created by California State Senator Robert M. Hertzberg. It would require that AI (artificial intelligence) bots reveal themselves online.
Another group, Common Sense Media, a non-profit which focuses on media and technology in relation to children, is a proponent of the B.O.T. Act. The group uses the ongoing security and other issues on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, which have been carried out by more than 100 million bot accounts.
2.) Utah cheerleader dismissed over profane video says school violated free speech
A former high school cheerleader in Salt Lake City, Utah, is suing her school district and high school for what she says is a violation of her first amendment right to free speech.
The Cache County School District and Mountain Crest High School are named in the suit, which was filed after the teen, only identified as S.J., was kicked off the cheerleading squad. The teen and several other cheerleaders recorded themselves singing along to a song with profanity in the lyrics. The video was then accidentally posted to the teen’s Snapchat account and deleted about 30 minutes after.
The cheerleaders were given punishments that would lead to possible reinstatement to the cheerleading squad, however S.J. did not accept the punishment.
3.) Trump can’t block critics on Twitter. What this means for you.
Being the president of the United States in the era of social media now means blocking critics on Twitter is a violation of their first amendment rights, according to a ruling by Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald.
In the 75-page decision, Judge Buchwald says the president’s Twitter account is a public forum operated by the government. She says her decision hinged on two questions: Whether a public official can block people on Twitter in response to their political views without violating their First Amendment rights, and whether it matters when the person doing the blocking is the President.
“The answer to both questions is no,” Buchwald wrote. “No government official—including the President—is above the law,” she said.
