Facebook Users Like Company’s Defense of Free Speech

Facebook was praised for defending free speech when it went out of its way to defend the First Amendment rights of its users to use its “Like” feature. When a Facebook user was fired by the Hampton, Va. sheriff’s office for “liking” the Facebook page of the current sheriff’s election opponent, Facebook joined advocacy groups including the ACLU in arguing that “liking” someone was speech protected by the U.S. Constitution. Facebook’s advocacy was widely noted in coverage of the case, earning the company and its stance a “thumbs up” from the media.