4 ms·
There might be a misunderstanding here? The Bill of Rights (the first ten amendments) specifically applies to limiting the powers of the federal government. It
by solardev 3y ago
There might be a misunderstanding here? The Bill of Rights (the first ten amendments) specifically applies to limiting the powers of the federal government. It doesn't grant rights to individuals, it takes away powers from Congress. It doesn't protect you against other citizens, but against government overreach.
A company can't violate someone's free speech (or other rights) because it's not the government. It literally isn't under the purview of the amendments. If it does something illegal, that is become that act is made illegal under some other code, not because of the bill of rights. They can be prosecuted for criminal or civil violations, but it wouldn't be a constitutional issue unless the government is the one doing it.
If a social media site wants to silence you, too bad. If the government wants to silence you, that's a big deal.
https://uwm.edu/free-speech-rights-responsibilities/faqs/what-first-amendment-protections-exist-for-speech-on-social-media/ https://uwm.edu/free-speech-rights-responsibilities/faqs/wha...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Bill_of_Rights https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Bill_of_Rights
(Edit: However, your argument isn't unheard of. Here's one opinion from the American Bar Association arguing the same thing -- that the 1A ought to apply to privately run public forums too: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/crsj/publications/human_rights_magazine_home/the-ongoing-challenge-to-define-free-speech/in-the-age-of-socia-media-first-amendment/ https://www.americanbar.org/groups/crsj/publications/human_r...)