Free Speech and the Regulation of Social Media Content

Free Speech and the Regulation of Social Media Content
Author: Valerie C. Brannon
Publisher: Independently Published
Total Pages: 50
Release: 2019-04-03
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9781092635158

As the Supreme Court has recognized, social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have become important venues for users to exercise free speech rights protected under the First Amendment. Commentators and legislators, however, have questioned whether these social media platforms are living up to their reputation as digital public forums. Some have expressed concern that these sites are not doing enough to counter violent or false speech. At the same time, many argue that the platforms are unfairly banning and restricting access to potentially valuable speech. Currently, federal law does not offer much recourse for social media users who seek to challenge a social media provider's decision about whether and how to present a user's content. Lawsuits predicated on these sites' decisions to host or remove content have been largely unsuccessful, facing at least two significant barriers under existing federal law. First, while individuals have sometimes alleged that these companies violated their free speech rights by discriminating against users' content, courts have held that the First Amendment, which provides protection against state action, is not implicated by the actions of these private companies. Second, courts have concluded that many non-constitutional claims are barred by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, 47 U.S.C. ยง 230, which provides immunity to providers of interactive computer services, including social media providers, both for certain decisions to host content created by others and for actions taken "voluntarily" and "in good faith" to restrict access to "objectionable" material. Some have argued that Congress should step in to regulate social media sites. Government action regulating internet content would constitute state action that may implicate the First Amendment. In particular, social media providers may argue that government regulations impermissibly infringe on the providers' own constitutional free speech rights. Legal commentators have argued that when social media platforms decide whether and how to post users' content, these publication decisions are themselves protected under the First Amendment. There are few court decisions evaluating whether a social media site, by virtue of publishing, organizing, or even editing protected speech, is itself exercising free speech rights. Consequently, commentators have largely analyzed the question of whether the First Amendment protects a social media site's publication decisions by analogy to other types of First Amendment cases. There are at least three possible frameworks for analyzing governmental restrictions on social media sites' ability to moderate user content. Which of these three frameworks applies will depend largely on the particular action being regulated. Under existing law, social media platforms may be more likely to receive First Amendment protection when they exercise more editorial discretion in presenting user-generated content, rather than if they neutrally transmit all such content. In addition, certain types of speech receive less protection under the First Amendment. Courts may be more likely to uphold regulations targeting certain disfavored categories of speech such as obscenity or speech inciting violence. Finally, if a law targets a social media site's conduct rather than speech, it may not trigger the protections of the First Amendment at all.

Social Media and Democracy

Social Media and Democracy
Author: Nathaniel Persily
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 365
Release: 2020-09-03
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1108835554

A state-of-the-art account of what we know and do not know about the effects of digital technology on democracy.

Tcl/Tk in a Nutshell

Tcl/Tk in a Nutshell
Author: Paul Raines
Publisher: "O'Reilly Media, Inc."
Total Pages: 458
Release: 1999-03-25
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 0596555792

The Tcl language and Tk graphical toolkit are simple and powerful building blocks for custom applications. The Tcl/Tk combination is increasingly popular because it lets you produce sophisticated graphical interfaces with a few easy commands, develop and change scripts quickly, and conveniently tie together existing utilities or programming libraries.One of the attractive features of Tcl/Tk is the wide variety of commands, many offering a wealth of options. Most of the things you'd like to do have been anticipated by the language's creator, John Ousterhout, or one of the developers of Tcl/Tk's many powerful extensions. Thus, you'll find that a command or option probably exists to provide just what you need.And that's why it's valuable to have a quick reference that briefly describes every command and option in the core Tcl/Tk distribution as well as the most popular extensions. Keep this book on your desk as you write scripts, and you'll be able to find almost instantly the particular option you need.Most chapters consist of alphabetical listings. Since Tk and mega-widget packages break down commands by widget, the chapters on these topics are organized by widget along with a section of core commands where appropriate. Contents include: Core Tcl and Tk commands and Tk widgets C interface (prototypes) Expect [incr Tcl] and [incr Tk] Tix TclX BLT Oratcl, SybTcl, and Tclodbc

Holub on Patterns

Holub on Patterns
Author: Allen Holub
Publisher: Apress
Total Pages: 426
Release: 2004-09-27
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 1430207256

* Allen Holub is a highly regarded instructor for the University of California, Berkeley, Extension. He has taught since 1982 on various topics, including Object-Oriented Analysis and Design, Java, C++, C. Holub will use this book in his Berkeley Extension classes. * Holub is a regular presenter at the Software Development conferences and is Contributing Editor for the online magazine JavaWorld, for whom he writes the Java Toolbox. He also wrote the OO Design Process column for IBM DeveloperWorks. * This book is not time-sensitive. It is an extremely well-thought out approach to learning design patterns, with Java as the example platform, but the concepts presented are not limited to just Java programmers. This is a complement to the Addison-Wesley seminal "Design Patterns" book by the "Gang of Four".

Dietary Supplements

Dietary Supplements
Author: United States. Federal Trade Commission. Bureau of Consumer Protection
Publisher:
Total Pages: 32
Release: 1998
Genre: Advertising
ISBN:

Intellectual Property and Information Rights for Librarians

Intellectual Property and Information Rights for Librarians
Author: John Schlipp
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages: 355
Release: 2019-09-03
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN:

Including real-world scenarios and best practices, this text presents the important topics of patents, trademarks, and copyrights in relation to intellectual property creators and consumers. Comprehending intellectual property rights is critical in today's world in order to negotiate the challenges associated with all kinds of intellectual properties, from patents to trademarks to copyright. Created for courses but useful for a wide range of readers, Intellectual Property and Information Rights for Librarians teaches intellectual property literacy, allowing teachers and students to easily understand the range of intellectual property issues, including both creator and consumer rights. Author John Schlipp, an intellectual property librarian and professor, guides readers through intellectual property and information rights issues for today's professionals in information-based careers. Real-world issues are emphasized, including fair use, which is covered in reference to the First Amendment. Information rights topics examined include legal and ethical issues such as freedom of information, internet regulations, privacy, cybercrime, and security. This text serves as a comprehensive reference and a collection of best practices that addresses all types of intellectual properties in one book.

The Law of Public Communication, 11th Edition

The Law of Public Communication, 11th Edition
Author: William E. Lee
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 753
Release: 2020-07-20
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1000080404

The eleventh edition of this classic textbook provides an overview of communication and media law that includes the most current legal developments. It explains the laws affecting the daily work of writers, broadcasters, PR practitioners, photographers and other public communicators. By providing statutes and cases in an accessible manner, even to students studying law for the first time, the authors ensure that students will acquire a firm grasp of the legal issues affecting the media. This new edition features discussions of hot topics such as the prosecution of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for Espionage Act violations, the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Iancu v. Brunetti addressing the registration of offensive trademarks, revenge porn, FTC guidelines on social media influencers and efforts by social media platforms to develop coherent approaches to misinformation. The Law of Public Communication is an ideal core textbook for undergraduate and graduate courses in communication law and mass media law. A downloadable test bank is available for instructors at www.routledge.com/9780367476793.