{"id":11761,"date":"2026-04-05T11:37:51","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T15:37:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/?p=11761"},"modified":"2026-04-05T11:44:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T15:44:11","slug":"is-town-councilor-shawn-faber-censoring-comments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/?p=11761","title":{"rendered":"Is Town Councilor Shawn Faber Censoring Comments?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>I have received multiple complaints that Town Councilor Shawn Faber is blocking residents and and hiding comments on his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FaberForLondonderry\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FaberForLondonderry\">Shawn Faber for Londonderry Town Council<\/a> Page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There have been a number of Supreme Court cases that have upheld that Public Officials cannot censor comments on their Social media accounts. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/press-releases\/aclu-statement-on-supreme-courts-decision-related-to-whether-public-officials-can-block-social-media-followers?fbclid=IwY2xjawQ_YA1leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFTMzN3eUg2WXNrdFYyWEx3c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHus8ozpASTKVIod9eZamAGF1mT2iUuDiTacd1fQ-thEJtjuWBooXTy-QzOJp_aem_eYGOfvXmprw9PRhs5BWu_w\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/press-releases\/aclu-statement-on-supreme-courts-decision-related-to-whether-public-officials-can-block-social-media-followers?fbclid=IwY2xjawQ_YA1leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFTMzN3eUg2WXNrdFYyWEx3c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHus8ozpASTKVIod9eZamAGF1mT2iUuDiTacd1fQ-thEJtjuWBooXTy-QzOJp_aem_eYGOfvXmprw9PRhs5BWu_w\">ACLU Statement on Supreme Court\u2019s Decision Related to Whether Public Officials Can Block Social Media Followers<\/a> March 15, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>WASHINGTON \u2013 The Supreme Court on Friday clarified when public officials\u2019 social media posts are subject to the First Amendment in response to two challenges,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/opinions\/23pdf\/22-324_09m1.pdf\">O\u2019Connor-Ratcliff v. Garnier<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/opinions\/23pdf\/22-611_ap6c.pdf\">Lindke v. Freed<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cWe&#8217;re gratified by the court&#8217;s ruling today, which underscores that the First Amendment restricts how the government can shape speech that takes place on social media,&#8221;\u00a0said Evelyn Danforth-Scott, ACLU staff attorney specializing in Supreme Court litigation.\u00a0&#8220;It gives everyday Americans a way to hold officials constitutionally accountable when they censor social media content, restrict access to it, or improperly elevate certain viewpoints over others. At the same time, it protects public officeholders\u2019 own free speech rights by giving them guidance on how to make clear when they are speaking as private individuals.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>There are a number of posts on the Faber&#8217;s page that show a comments total but the comments visible are less than the totals. This indicates that comments have been hidden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have confirmed that several comments I have posted are not visible to others. Councilor Faber has been asked if he is blocking constituents or hiding comments but has not responded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">The post below has 6 comments but only 2 are visible<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"555\" height=\"796\" src=\"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-3.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11763\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-3.png 555w, https:\/\/townunderground.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-3-209x300.png 209w, https:\/\/townunderground.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-3-300x430.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 555px) 100vw, 555px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">The same post viewed by a different Facebook account has 6 comments but only 3 visible comments<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"559\" height=\"799\" src=\"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-4.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11764\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-4.png 559w, https:\/\/townunderground.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-4-210x300.png 210w, https:\/\/townunderground.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-4-300x429.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 559px) 100vw, 559px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>From ChatGPT<br>\ud83d\udd12 What \u201chiding\u201d a comment means<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The comment is still visible to:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The person who posted it<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>That person\u2019s friends<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>But it\u2019s <strong>invisible to everyone else<\/strong> on the page<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>So to the commenter, it looks like nothing happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u2699\ufe0f Who can hide comments?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>On a Facebook page (like a public official\u2019s page), the following can do it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Page admins<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Editors\/moderators<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u2696\ufe0f Important (especially for public officials)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If the page belongs to a <strong>public official using it for official business<\/strong>, hiding comments can raise <strong>First Amendment concerns<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Courts have ruled (in cases like Knight First Amendment Institute v. Trump) that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Public officials can\u2019t selectively suppress viewpoints in official public forums<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hiding or deleting comments based on viewpoint may be unconstitutional<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>However:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>They <strong>can<\/strong> moderate for things like spam, threats, or profanity (if applied consistently)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes \u2014 public officials <strong>can technically block or hide comments<\/strong>, but whether they\u2019re <em>allowed to<\/em> (legally) depends on how the account is being used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u2696\ufe0f Key distinction: Public office vs. personal account<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. <strong>Official government pages\/accounts<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>If a public official uses a social media page <strong>as an extension of their office<\/strong> (e.g., posting official updates, engaging with constituents), courts have increasingly treated that page as a <strong>public forum<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Under the <strong>First Amendment to the United States Constitution<\/strong>, viewpoint discrimination is generally prohibited.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>That means:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u274c Blocking someone <em>because of their viewpoint<\/em> is usually <strong>not allowed<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u274c Hiding or deleting comments <em>because they criticize the official<\/em> is also often <strong>not allowed<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>A major case:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Knight First Amendment Institute v. Trump<\/strong><br>Found that blocking critics from an official Twitter account used for government communication violated the First Amendment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Another key development:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Lindke v. Freed<\/strong><br>The Supreme Court clarified that officials can be subject to First Amendment limits <strong>if their social media activity counts as \u201cstate action\u201d<\/strong> \u2014 meaning they\u2019re acting in their official capacity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udc49 Bottom line: If the page is functioning like a <strong>digital town hall<\/strong>, viewpoint-based blocking or hiding comments can violate free speech rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. <strong>Personal or campaign pages<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>If the account is clearly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Personal (family posts, private life), or<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Campaign-related (election-focused)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Then the official has <strong>much more freedom<\/strong> to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Block users<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Delete or hide comments<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Because those spaces are generally <strong>not considered government-controlled forums<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u26a0\ufe0f What <em>is<\/em> usually allowed (even on official pages)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Officials can still enforce <strong>content-neutral rules<\/strong>, such as removing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Spam<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Threats or harassment<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Obscenity<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Off-topic comments (if rules are clearly stated and applied evenly)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83e\udded Practical takeaway<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Criticism alone \u2260 valid reason to block\/hide comments<\/strong> on an official page<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Consistency matters<\/strong> \u2014 selective enforcement can create legal issues<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The line between \u201cofficial\u201d and \u201cpersonal\u201d pages is often where disputes happen<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Related Posts:<\/strong><br><a href=\"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/?p=1387\">Candidate for State Senator Censoring Social Media<\/a><br><a href=\"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/?p=1458\">Public Officials Cannot Block Critics on Social Media<\/a><br><a href=\"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/?p=1497\">State Representative blocking constituents from Facebook page<\/a><br><a href=\"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/?p=10807\">Liberate Leach Library &#8211; Blocks Accounts and Issues Warning to those that &#8216;Do not Support the Library&#8217;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I have received multiple complaints that Town Councilor Shawn Faber is blocking residents and and hiding comments on his Shawn Faber for Londonderry Town Council Page. There have been a number of Supreme Court cases that have upheld that Public Officials cannot censor comments on their Social media accounts. The&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11761","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11761"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11761\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11767,"href":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11761\/revisions\/11767"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11761"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11761"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11761"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}