Can Great Falls Leaders Block You On Social Media?

For the past year or two or three, I've noticed an issue with a couple of folks who are elected to run Great Falls in one way or another. I'd like to set the record straight

The issue I'm talking about is social media and blocking or deleting/hiding comments.

Let's GO!

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Can An Elected Official In Montana Block You Or Hide Your Comments On Social Media?

Short answer: No. And that's everywhere in America, not just Big Sky Country.

It all comes back to this thing we call Free Speech.

Long Answer: The Supreme Court of the United States Of America in March of 2024, ruled that a person serving city, county, state or country can NOT block you, no matter what you say, on their official page. They also can not hide your comments. It's part of the public record. On their personal page, they can block and hide people to their heart's content. Unless that person is using their personal page for official business.

READ MORE: The Fascinating History Of Glacier National Park

Let's recap:

• No official in America can block constituents from their page or from exercising their right to free speech on official Facebook page OR any personal page of the elected representative where official business is presented
• Yes, an official can block you and hide comments on their personal page, as long as they don't use it as a platform for their public agenda

What does this have to do with anything in Great Falls?

The elected Mayor of Great Falls simply CAN NOT be blocking people who don't share his views. He also can NOT hide comments on his official page as Great Falls Mayor. You can be blocked on an officials private page. UNLESS they use that page to discuss official business. Then they can NOT block you.

I will add that after my friend went from zero to outraged that he blocked her, The Mayor did let her comment back in and unblocked her.

I showed the mayor for a reason. He unblocked her and he didn't go on a blog writing tangent about how the people of Great Falls should see everything his way because if they don't they may as well move because it will get them one step closer to the hell he believes they'll live in when they die.

Certain other elected officials can't say the same. I'm tired of this happening in Great Falls and I'm going to call this out every single time I hear of it so that it eventually stops. With names.

Sources: Congress.gov, ACLU, Government Executive

Is it time to look at cute things? I think it is ⬇⬇⬇