The issue of free speech has now come to the younger generation not through a protest but through their facebook “like” button. The court has come down that it is not speech. However, the issue is probably still far from decided. Facebook says the “like” button is the equivalent of today’s yard sign. This is probably true, as if a young person today wants to support a political candidate or a resturaunt for that matter they will go to the facebook page and “like” it. The question still is whether the language is protected to keep you from being fired. If the employee had been outside going from house to house with signs supporting their employers competition should they have been fired. If this were in Texas, and a private employer, I think the answer would clearly be yes. They can be fired. If you want to support you employers competition, why should you not just go work for them. Why should your employer keep someone who does not believe in them. If this is free speech and should be protected, how does it differ from the comments made from the CEO of Chick-Fil-A who was only expressing his opinion through speech. I think this is an area of the law with many different issues and possible angles. It may be a while before the courts get this sorted out. None the less, we must all be cautioned when participating in social networking sites. Once you post, it becomes very public.
So tell us, do you believe the “Like” button on Facebook falls under Freedom of Speech?