Public officials’ social media accounts newest legal tussle

Lawyers' Forum

By Steve Adams

Steve Adams is a partner at Robbins Schwartz in Chicago where he represents government, business and commercial real estate clients on civil rights, sunshine law, real estate, zoning and land use matters. He can be reached at sadams@robbins-schwartz.com.

Posted April 19, 2019 3:06 PM

Public officials and employees who personally create or maintain interactive blogs or social media accounts that communicate with the public about the public body they represent risk Section 1983 exposure if they block a user or censor comments based on the user’s viewpoint.Two recent federal cases have determined that a public official’s privately created social media page, even if not fully devoted to government business, opens a forum for speech and exposes the official to money damages and attorney fees …

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