First Amendment group accuses Polk County Sheriff's Office of online censorship
Group challenges Polk County Sheriff's Office social media policies
A national group is accusing the Polk Sheriff's Office of silencing its critics online. Fox 13's Carla Bayron reports.
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - A national free speech watchdog is demanding the Polk County Sheriff's Office stop blocking online critics and rewrite social media policies that allegedly violate the First Amendment.
Polk County social media policy
What we know:
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) claims deputies illegally hide comments and block users who criticize the agency on Facebook. Several animal rights activists reported censorship after posting criticisms regarding county animal control policies.
FIRE Program Counsel Brennen Vanderveen said policy rules banning inappropriate, offensive or trolling comments are unconstitutionally vague.
First Amendment free speech standards
What they're saying:
Vanderveen noted that legal precedent protects harsh or disagreeable public comments on government pages.
"The Supreme Court has been clear that the government can't ban speech just because it's perceived as offensive. The Supreme Court has even said giving offense is a viewpoint. When you're specifically banning comments because they're offensive or their perceived tone is too harsh, those are just the types of judgments the First Amendment doesn't allow governments to make," Vanderveen said.
Sheriff's office response deadline
What's next:
The watchdog group gave the agency until Wednesday to respond to its letter and offered to rewrite the social media rules for free.
A spokesperson said the sheriff's office is reviewing the letter and evaluating the concerns. Meanwhile, FIRE reported that officials have already unblocked several animal rights activists.
Government agency online moderation
What we don't know:
Officials have not confirmed how many total user accounts were previously blocked or hidden under the current policy.
It remains unclear if the agency will accept the watchdog group's offer to assist in drafting new guidelines.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from FOX 13 reporter Carla Bayron, who reviewed statements from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, as well as a response from a spokesperson for the Polk County Sheriff's Office.