Victory! Court Rejects Government Effort to Dismiss Social Media Surveillance Lawsuit
A federal judge in New York allowed a lawsuit brought by three labor unions, including the United Automobile Workers, to proceed against the Departments of State and Homeland Security. The unions allege that federal agencies engaged in viewpoint-based surveillance and suppression of protected online speech.
Why this matters: This case is about whether the government can watch what you say online and act against you because of your politics or your union. Labor unions are plaintiffs here, but the principle covers anyone. If agencies can monitor social media and use what they find to target people based on viewpoint, that is a direct threat to free expression. The judge letting this case move forward means those allegations will get examined in court, which is where that kind of government conduct belongs.
Who should care: Lawyers · Privacy officers · Compliance · Cybersecurity · General readers · Policy
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