4 ms·

In what country can you never be arrested for a Facebook post?

• Synaesthesia 9y ago
  In the US which has freedom of speech laws. But which country has arrested users for Facebook posts other than authoritarian countries? Particularly for such a relatively innocuous post.
  • bigbugbag 9y ago
    People have been arrested over facebook in the US, for example: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/may/18/facebook-comments-arrest-prosecution https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/may/18/facebook-com... http://www.businessinsider.com/people-arrested-for-facebook-posts-2013-7?IR=T http://www.businessinsider.com/people-arrested-for-facebook-... AFAIK most of the countries have had arrestations over facebook posts, those who have not are following this global trend.
    • Synaesthesia 9y ago
      Interesting I did not know that. Of course there are limits to free speech. Threats, and involvement in criminal activity, like if I order somebody to shoot someone, that’s not protected by free speech. This was a pretty innucous statement not a threat.
  • tyingq 9y ago
    People have been arrested in the US for social media posts. And well before the internet, for things they've said or written. Also, generally, the bar for "arrested" is pretty low. Cops can arrest you with very little fear of reprisal.
  • detaro 9y ago
    Threats or rather what the police considers threats gets people arrested in the US.
  • mrguyorama 9y ago
    You can be arrested in the US if you were to post a legitimate threat
    • psyc 9y ago
      The bar for arrest is lower than that. You can be arrested for posting rap lyrics that somebody else interprets as a threat.
      • mrguyorama 9y ago
        Do you have a specific case in mind? I would have thought it would require specifically the police to interpret it as a threat.
        • psyc 9y ago
          It only requires the police to be ambivalent or in the mood to cuff someone. I do know of 2 such cases. One in the sensitive climate following the Boston bombing. Another that was revenge, like a SWATting but with regular police.
        • detaro 9y ago
          Something like this? https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/aug/29/former-marine-facebook-sue-fbi https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/aug/29/former-marine-...
  • psyc 9y ago
    "Authoritarian country" is too prone to no-true-scottsmanship. So I'll just say that it's fairly common in the U.K., and definitely not unheard of in the U.S. Even if someone legally should not be arrested, people are people, and the police will often detain someone just to be on the safe side, when responding to a complaint. Putting something on Facebook opens you up to complaints from a potentially wide audience of lurkers who may not understand the context of a post, or worse, might be angry with you and looking for petty revenge. So, people do get arrested for Facebook posts in practice, regardless of whether it is legal to post the content.
    • Synaesthesia 9y ago
      Sorry I should have added charges and found guilty. Because Israel has imprisoned people based on Facebook posts.