Supreme Court Sets Rules for Blocking Citizens From Officials' Accounts

The Supreme Court issued two unanimous decisions on Friday that provide clarification on how to determine if elected officials violate the First Amendment by blocking individuals from their social media accounts. Justice Amy Coney Barrett outlined two key factors that must be present for officials to be sued in such cases. Firstly, the officials must have been authorized to speak on behalf of the government regarding the topics addressed on their social media sites. Secondly, they must have used their authority to make the posts in question. The court did not immediately apply this new standard to the cases in question, instead instructing lower courts to do so. These cases are part of a broader examination of how the First Amendment applies to social media platforms.