Do Free-Speech Rights Apply on Facebook?
The Supreme Court is considering the case of a man who wrote Facebook messages about his wife. He says they were rap lyrics, not threats.
The U.S. Supreme Court is seen October 6, 2014 in Washington, DC.
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Anthony Elonis went to prison after writing Facebook messages suggesting he might kill his wife. Now his case is before the U.S. Supreme Court, which will consider for the first time how free-speech rights apply on social media.
Elonis, who cites singer Eminem as an inspiration, says his messages were rap lyrics that weren’t intended as threats and deserve protection as speech. Among his posts: “I’m not gonna rest until your body is a mess.” Another envisioned his wife’s “head on a stick.”