unblock
Latest
Facebook bug caused 800,000 accounts to unblock some users
Facebook announced today that over 800,000 users were affected by a bug that unblocked some people that they had blocked on the site. Though it didn't reinstate any friend connections that were severed once a block was put into place, it did open up the ability for an unblocked person to message the user who had blocked them. Facebook said the bug was active between May 29th and June 5th and that around 83 percent of affected users had just one blocked person become unblocked as a result.
Lawyers claim Trump can't block his critics on Twitter
While we withhold the right to moderate and maintain standards of discussion in our comments because they are a private space, does the President of the United States have a different standard to meet? The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University believes so and sent Donald Trump a letter on behalf of Twitter users that have been blocked by his @realDonaldTrump account. The Wall Street Journal posted the text of the letter (PDF), which argues that, as President, operates as a "designated public forum" similar to a city council or school board meeting. As such, their argument goes, blocking users who have mocked or criticized the president violates their First Amendment rights. The letter did not directly state that further legal action could follow, but certainly implied it's possible. Bloomberg reports that White House spokesman Sean Spicer confirmed in a press conference that Trump's tweets should be considered official statements. So far there is no comment on the letter, and the users remain blocked.
