Beyond the Headlines: Social media and freedom of speech

The US presidential election has turned the spotlight on how companies such as Facebook and Twitter enforce the legal limits to a fundamental right

When the US founding fathers sat down to define the Bill of Rights and enshrine into the constitution the inalienable right to freedom of speech, they had little idea that the country would still be wrangling about what this meant more than two centuries later, in the age of social media.

The Bill of Rights grants the freedom to express any opinion, without any restrictions or penalty from the government. However, there are restrictions to this right, in law. These include speech that incites violence, is part of criminal conduct or commercial advertising.

This week, with the US presidential election fast approaching, Cody Combs looks at how social media giants are grappling with freedom of speech.