Social Media Blocking
-
Press Statement
Knight Institute Calls on Speaker Johnson to Ensure Public’s First Amendment Rights at Town Halls
Says government officials cannot block critics at public forums, whether in-person or online
-
Quick Take
What Public Officials Need to Know About Posting on Social Media After Lindke v. Freed
An update to the Institute’s Social Media for Public Officials 101
-
Fact Sheet
Social Media for Public Officials 2.0
A First Amendment guide for public officials using social media after Lindke v. Freed
-
Press Statement
Federal Court Says National Institutes of Health Censored Critics on Social Media in Violation of First Amendment
Knight Institute, PETA, and Animal Legal Defense Fund say decision is victory for free speech online
-
-
-
Press Statement
Knight Institute Comments on Supreme Court Argument in Social Media Blocking Cases
Says Court should make clear that public officials who use social media accounts to conduct official business must comply with the First Amendment
-
Press Statement
Supreme Court to Consider When Government Officials’ Social Media Accounts Are Subject to First Amendment
Knight Institute says public officials who use social media accounts to conduct official business must comply with the First Amendment
-
Press Statement
Animal Rights Advocates To Appeal Court Ruling Upholding Federal Agency Practice of Censorship on Social Media
Knight Institute, PETA, and Animal Legal Defense Fund say decision is blow to free expression online
-
Press Statement
Knight Institute Comments on Meta's Decision to Reinstate Trump
Says public has an overriding interest in hearing from political leaders
-
Quick Take
When It Comes to Social Media Blocking, Campaign Accounts are Different
Why true campaign accounts may not be First Amendment public forums
By Alyssa Morones & Katie Fallow -
-
Press Statement
Knight Institute Asks Congressman Massie to Stop Blocking Critics From His Official Twitter Account
Says representative is violating the First Amendment
-
Press Statement
Animal Rights Advocates File First Amendment Lawsuit against Government for Blocking Critical Comments on Health Agencies’ Social Media Accounts
Knight Institute says the Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health cannot discriminate based on viewpoint
-
-
Press Statement
Texas Attorney General Agrees To Not Block Critics from His Twitter Account
A victory for Texans’ First Amendment rights in Knight Institute v. Paxton
-
Deep Dive
Paxton Critics Blocked, Now Unblocked, from Texas AG’s Twitter Account
Texas AG unblocks critics in response to Knight Institute, ACLU of Texas lawsuit maintaining the account is a "public forum" under the First Amendment
By A. Adam Glenn -
Press Statement
Texas Attorney General Unblocks Twitter Critics in Knight Institute v. Paxton
A notable victory in securing Texans’ First Amendment rights
-
-
Press Statement
Critics Blocked from Paxton’s Twitter Account File Legal Challenge
Knight First Amendment Institute and ACLU of Texas say Attorney General is violating the First Amendment
-
Deep Dive
Official Censorship Should Have No Place in the Digital Public Square
Courts are barring public officials from blocking critics from their social media accounts.
By Jameel Jaffer & Katie Fallow -
Press Statement
Supreme Court Ends Long-Running Lawsuit Over Trump’s Now-Defunct Twitter Account
Knight Institute says ruling will continue to shape public officials’ use of social media
-
Quick Take
A Third Federal Appeals Court Addresses Social Media Blocking
Agrees that public officials who use social media accounts to further their official duties must comply with the First Amendment
-
Press Statement
Justice Department Abandons Request that Supreme Court Hear Case Relating to Trump’s Now-Defunct Twitter Account
Knight Institute says Court should leave landmark appeals court ruling in place
-
Press Statement
Knight Institute Comments on Permanent Suspension of President Trump’s Twitter Account
Says the action effectively moots Knight Institute v. Trump but Appeals Court’s decision will continue to shape how public officials use social media
-
-
Press Statement
White House Asks Supreme Court to Review Ruling that the President Violated First Amendment by Blocking Critics on Twitter
Knight Institute says Court should leave appeals court decision in place
-
Press Statement
Knight Institute Comments on U.S. Army and Navy Reinstating Banned Twitch Users and on Navy Issuing Revised Channel Policies
Says new policies need to be enforced on a viewpoint-neutral basis
-
Press Statement
Knight Institute Comments on U.S. Army Reinstating Banned Twitch Users
Urges Navy to also cease banning users based on viewpoint
-
Press Statement
Knight Institute Sues President for Continuing to Block Twitter Critics
Says practice defies earlier court ruling, violates the First Amendment
-
Press Statement
U.S. Army and Navy Must Stop Banning Speech About War Crimes from Their Twitch Channels, Knight Institute Says in Demand Letter
Says practice suppresses “core political speech” and violates the First Amendment
-
Press Statement
Knight Institute Asks Irvine Mayor to Immediately Stop Blocking Critics from Her Facebook Page
Letter sent after mayor blocked constituent criticizing her stance on police brutality protests
-
Press Statement
Knight Institute Says Sen. Cornyn Must Immediately Stop Blocking Critics from His Official Twitter Account
The account constitutes a public forum under the First Amendment
-
Analysis
Public Officials Can’t Block Critics from Official Social Media Accounts
Appeals court protects public’s right to read and respond to official social media accounts, at a time when we rely on them most
By Carrie DeCell & Meenakshi Krishnan -
Press Statement
Appeals Court Affirms that First Amendment Bars the President from Blocking Critics on Twitter
Second Circuit Denies Full Court Review in Knight Institute v. Trump
-
Analysis
How Should Politicians Use Social Media?
Tips for protecting an individual’s right to participate in digital town halls
By Katie Fallow -
-
Fact Sheet
Social Media for Public Officials 101
A First Amendment guide for public officials using social media
-
Press Statement
Knight Institute Responds to Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s Settlement in Twitter Blocking Case
Applauds her for recognizing she was wrong to block critics from her Twitter account
-
-
Podcast
Podcast: Free Speech, Privacy, and President Trump's Twitter Account
Knight Institute's Alex Abdo on "So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast"
-
Podcast
Podcast: When Does Twitter Blocking Violate the First Amendment?
On National Constitution Center's podcast, We the People, Knight Institute's Katie Fallow and National Review's David French debate Appeals Court's decision in Knight Institute v. Trump.
-
Video
Video: Second Circuit Holds that President Trump Violated First Amendment by Blocking Critics on Twitter
In light of decision, public officials should reconsider their social media policies and stop blocking critics
-
Press Statement
Appeals Court Holds that President Trump Violated First Amendment by Blocking Critics on Twitter
Decision helps ensure the integrity and vitality of public discourse online
-
Press Statement
Appeals Court Hears Oral Arguments in Challenge to President's Twitter Blocking
Knight Institute defends its First Amendment victory in Knight Institute v. Trump in 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
-
Analysis
I Was Blocked by @realDonaldTrump
The seven plaintiffs in Knight Institute v. Trump share how they feel about being blocked on Twitter by the President of the United States
By Rebecca Pilar Buckwalter-Poza , Philip Cohen , Eugene Gu , Holly Figueroa , Nicholas Pappas & Brandon Neely -
Analysis
Fourth Circuit Holds that Blocking on Public Official’s Social Media Page Violates First Amendment
Knight Senior Staff Attorney Katie Fallow and intern Ella Epstein comment on Davison v. Randall in MediaLawLetter
By Katie Fallow & Ella Epstein -
Press Statement
Appeals Court Holds Government Official Who Blocked Critic from Facebook Page Violated First Amendment
Fourth Circuit ruling forecloses public officials from suppressing critics on official social media pages.
-
Press Statement
Knight Institute Asks White House to Unblock More Twitter Critics from @realDonaldTrump Account
Letter lists 41 Twitter users who remain blocked from the @realDonaldTrump account despite district court decision that the blocking violates the First Amendment
-
Forum
Blocked: The Trump Twitter Case in Context
Why Knight Institute v. Trump matters for the health of American democracy
By Lincoln Caplan -
Press Statement
President Trump Unblocks Twitter Critics, Files Notice of Appeal in Knight Institute v. Trump
Plaintiffs receive notice they are no longer being blocked from @realDonaldTrump account
-
Press Statement
Federal Court Rules that President Trump’s Blocking of Twitter Critics Violates First Amendment
In Knight Institute v. Trump, judge holds @realDonaldTrump constitutes a “public forum” under the First Amendment
-
Analysis
Yes, President Trump, Courts Can Order You to Follow the Law
In recent lawsuits, including Knight Institute v. Trump, the administration has advanced the troubling claim that courts cannot order the president to follow the Constitution
By Owen Keiter -
Press Statement
Knight Institute to Represent Plaintiff in the First Social-Media-Blocking Lawsuit to Reach Appellate Court
Brian Davison, Virginia resident temporarily blocked by local official on Facebook, prevailed in district court
-
Analysis
Twitter is the Modern Public Square. So Can the President Block You?
At the heart of Knight Institute's Trump Twitter lawsuit is the principle that every citizen has a right to speak and be heard
By Katie Fallow -
Forum
Fighting for the First Amendment
A plaintiff in Knight Institute v. Trump explains why she signed on to the legal fight against President Trump for blocking her on Twitter
By Rebecca Pilar Buckwalter-Poza -
Analysis
Is Trump’s Twitter Behavior Constitutional? A Court Will Decide.
Twitter is a novel means for presidential communication, but the problem of government officials limiting and manipulating political speech is all too familiar
By Jameel Jaffer -
Podcast
Podcast: Trump, Twitter, Charlottesville, and the First Amendment
Jameel Jaffer joins BRIC Radio to discuss President Trump's blocking critics on Twitter
-
Podcast
Podcast: Presidential Lawsuits
On "In The Thick," Jameel Jaffer discuss the Knight Institute's First Amendment lawsuit against President Trump
-
Press Statement
Digital Rights, Federal Court, and First Amendment Experts Endorse Trump Twitter Suit
Amicus briefs from Electronic Frontier Foundation, First Amendment scholars, and federal court scholars support Knight Institute challenge to president's blocking of Twitter critics
-
Press Statement
White House Argues Trump's Twitter Account Beyond Reach of Constitution
First response to Knight Institute suit challenging president's practice of blocking critics
-
Press Statement
White House Won’t Contest that Trump Blocked Twitter Users for Criticizing Him
Joint stipulation sets stage for landmark litigation
-
Press Statement
Critics Blocked by Trump to Ask Court to Reinstate Access While Suit Proceeds
Letter from plaintiffs in Knight Institute v. Trump asks court to order president to unblock them as the suit proceeds
-
Press Statement
Critics Blocked from President’s Twitter Account File Suit
Knight Institute's lawsuit alleges White House violated the First Amendment rights of seven plaintiffs blocked from @realDonald Trump account
-
Analysis
@realDonaldTrump and the First Amendment
Answers to questions about the Knight Institute's position that President Trump cannot block critics on his @realDonaldTrump Twitter account
By Alex Abdo -
Press Statement
Knight Institute Demands that President Trump Unblock Critics on Twitter
Letter argues the president's @realDonaldTrump account is a designated public forum under the First Amendment