Facebook ‘Like’ Protected By First Amendment

A federal appeals court ruled this week that “liking” on Facebook is protected speech under the First Amendment. The case involves a former deputy sheriff who said he was fired after “liking” the campaign page of the man running against his boss. The appeals court said promoting the page was substantive speech, equal to displaying political posters in one’s front yard, and therefore protected. The case is being closely watched as a barometer for how much Constitutional protection citizens can expect for online behavior.