Re:Thousands of Facebook internal documents and emails publi...
by otterley on Friday November 08, 2019 @12:14AM
(#21480116)
Attorney here! (This is not legal advice.)
Section 315 of the Federal Communications Act is not an applicable law because Facebook is not an FCC licensee, nor does it need a license to operate.
Also, it’s been challenged as a violation of the First Amendment and the courts have removed almost all of its teeth. Section 315 is practically dead law.
Section 315 of the Federal Communications Act of 1934 states:
"If any licensee shall permit any person who is a legally qualified candidate for any public office to use a broadcasting station, he shall afford equal opportunities to all other such candidates for that office in the use of such broadcasting station: Provided, That such licensee shall have no power of censorship over the material broadcast under the provision of this section."
It also specifically says licensees can’t censor "material broadcast by any such candidate."
so at least in the past the government decided tv stations can not censor.
I know FB is not a TV station but it's probably the closest applicable law ATM.