The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit recognized that "liking" something on Facebook is a form of constitutionally-protected expression. The case involved six former employees of the Hampton Sheriff's Office in Virginia, who claimed that they were fired from their jobs for "liking" the Facebook page of a candidate for Sheriff who was running against their boss. The Court held that "liking" on Facebook was the "Internet equivalent of displaying a political sign in one's front yard"--a highly protected form of public expression. The ACLU was amicus curiae in the case, arguing that, even though clicking on the "like" button on a Facebook page was a relatively small gesture, it could nonetheless have significant implications: "With “one click of a button,” an Internet user can upload or view a video, donate money to a campaign, forward an email, sign a petition, send a pre-written letter to a politician, or do a myriad of other indisputably expressive activities. The ease of these actions does not negate their expressive nature."
We applaud the Court's decision, and it seems to be an appropriate moment to thank all of you who have "liked" an ACLU of Maine Facebook post over the years. Your "likes" mean a lot to us. Now you've heard it from us, and from the courts too.
