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Do these count as American companies? If so, is there not some violation of the First Amendment? > The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Const
by zxcvvcxz 10y ago
Do these count as American companies? If so, is there not some violation of the First Amendment?
> The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble, or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances.
- mikecb 10y agoShort answer: no. The phrase in italics is bounded by the phrase "making of any law". The bill of rights operates only against the Federal government, except those rights incorporated against the States by the 14th amendment, and things which were applied to private action by the 13th amendment.
- k-mcgrady 10y agoNot American but I'm pretty sure the 1st amendment doesn't apply to private companies. You can go out in the street and yell hate speech if you want, you don't have a right to force them to allow it on their platform.
- markbao 10y agoIn broad strokes, no – the First Amendment only prohibits the government from abridging speech. Companies have no obligation to protect your speech, but many act with the spirit of free speech. Brief overview: http://lifehacker.com/5953755/what-exactly-is-freedom-of-speech-and-how-does-it-apply-to-the-internet http://lifehacker.com/5953755/what-exactly-is-freedom-of-spe...
- jbob2000 10y ago...prohibits the making of any law... Facebook and Twitter have no ability to make laws.
- sverige 10y agoThey don't, but they hire people who do. Otherwise why do they (and Google and Microsoft) spend so much time and money in D.C.?