The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the simple act of clicking the “Like” button on a Facebook page is Constitutionally protected speech. Ruling on Bland v. Roberts, the Appellate judges overturned a district court ruling that found the mere act of Liking a Facebook page was not “speaking out” in an expressive way and therefore fell outside the bounds of the First Amendment.
In reaching its conclusion, the Appellate court took time to understand all of the implications and consequences of liking a Facebook page and concluded that, “Once one understands the nature of what Carter did by liking the Campaign Page, it becomes apparent that his conduct qualifies as speech.”
The Court clearly understood the meaning and impact of a Facebook Like rather than looking superficially at the act of clicking a mouse one time on a button as the entire action being protected.