The attorney for the U.S. House of Representatives has asked a federal judge to toss out a lawsuit against an Arizona congressman.
Attorney Thomas Hungar admitted in his filing that Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar once blocked two constituents from his Facebook page, but noted that doesn’t give people the right to sue.
For one, he said, they’re no longer blocked, nor is anyone on the site, under Facebook’s new website policy. Therefore, he plans to argue, the ACLU’s claim of injury is obsolete.
And, he said because Facebook now defines itself as a “moderated online discussion site,” rather than a public forum, complainants are not constitutionally protected to say whatever they feel or demand a web page change.
Besides, he has argued, constituents are still free to voice their opinion any number of other ways.
The judge’s decision could determine how all congressional members impose controls on their own social media sites.
