Facebook Frolics, Like It or Not Dept. 0
The ACLU steps in to protect your “Likes” in Virginia, where some speech is too insignificant to be free:
The civil liberties group joined the social network this week in filing amicus briefs with the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, arguing that a District Court judge was wrong in refusing to grant free-speech protection to “liking” something on Facebook.
District Court Judge Raymond A. Jackson ruled this spring that employees of the Hampton Virginia Sheriff’s Office, who were allegedly fired because they “liked” the Facebook page of Sheriff B.J. Roberts’ opponent in the 2009 election, didn’t do enough to warrant constitutional protection.
Really, now, if folks could get fired for expressing their “Likes,” their “Likes” are hardly insignificant now, are they?
Or, alternatively, the firings could be ruled insignificant so the paychecks could keep coming.