Do you enjoy using social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, YouTube to express your thoughts and opinions? What if someone didn't like what you said and tried to force you to take it down? Would you give in without a fight?
The sad reality is that you can be sued by any person, organization, or company and potentially forced to censor your voice. This is done through SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation), which are baseless lawsuits that are solely intended to bury you under a ton of legal fees and costs until you give up the fight.
Not all states in the U.S. have anti-SLAPP laws in place to protect against this legal tactic, which means that there is no comprehensive protection of our First Amendment right to freedom of speech on a national scale. Anyone, including you, can become a victim of SLAPP.
We urge you to sign this petition so that we can let our voices be heard by members of Congress. We must advocate a movement towards adopting anti-SLAPP legislation on a federal level or this threat to our freedom of speech may continue to unjustly victimize people who are rightfully speaking out.
For more information about SLAPPs and what you can do to fight back, click here.
