North Carolina National Guard settles lawsuit over blocking Facebook critic

Published Aug 6, 01:02 PM UTC

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The North Carolina National Guard (NCNG) settled a federal lawsuit with former guardsman Timothy Stanhope, who alleged his First Amendment rights were violated when he was blocked on Facebook for criticizing Guard leadership. Under the settlement, NCNG agreed to restore Stanhope's access to its Facebook page, unhide his comments, and revise its moderation policy to no longer block users or remove comments simply for being deemed 'inappropriate.' Comments remain subject to Facebook's community standards. Each side pays its own legal fees. Stanhope, represented by the Center for Individual Rights, had criticized Guard mismanagement, including a 2021 deployment to Washington, D.C., and shared an officer's mugshot from a DUI arrest. The settlement is hailed as a victory for free speech in online public forums.

Source

Army TimesWestern

Original language: EN

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North Carolina National Guard settles lawsuit over blocking Facebook critic

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