Freedom of Speech online?

[Xander756]

Had a law question pertaining to freedom of speech in online video game communities. I was playing this game the other day online and hanging out in one of the chat lobbies when I saw one of the administrators warn someone for using the word "gay." Isn't this bigoted? Can they legally ban people fro using the word gay and then punish them for saying it? Their terms of service say nothing about it, but it is open-ended to allow admins to do anything they want (it says anything they deem inappropriate, is).

Was wondering if there was some sort of precedent over this. I thought Microsoft lost a lawsuit over banning this word in Xbox 360 user profiles recently.

 

[army judge]

Had a law question pertaining to freedom of speech in online video game communities. I was playing this game the other day online and hanging out in one of the chat lobbies when I saw one of the administrators warn someone for using the word "gay." Isn't this bigoted? Can they legally ban people fro using the word gay and then punish them for saying it? Their terms of service say nothing about it, but it is open-ended to allow admins to do anything they want (it says anything they deem inappropriate, is).

Was wondering if there was some sort of precedent over this. I thought Microsoft lost a lawsuit over banning this word in Xbox 360 user profiles recently.

Freedom of speech doesn't mean others are forced to listen to whatever you spout.
Besides, the constitutional guarantees, such as freedom of speech pertains to the government, not to other people.
It bars the government from banning most of what you say and where you say it, in speaking about the government.
It doesn't guarantee those same protections as they pertain to other people or entities.

A private website, can ban anyone they wish.
There is no constitutional guarantee that requires a private entity to allow you to use their site.
The precedent, as you put it, is that that website (this one, too) is free to ban or censor whomever they wish, all without government sanctions or restrictions.

 

[Xander756]

Well it wasn't so much as a website as it was an online game. A game that people pay to play. If they could ban whomever they wish, shouldn't there at least be some protection for people who spend their money on it?

 

[army judge]

Well it wasn't so much as a website as it was an online game. A game that people pay to play. If they could ban whomever they wish, shouldn't there at least be some protection for people who spend their money on it?

Maybe there should be, but there isn't.
People can vote with their feet and move to another website or gamesite.
Or, they can start their own.
There are no legal protections that force others to allow you to say whatever you want.

 

[BayState]

Maybe there should be, but there isn't.
People can vote with their feet and move to another website or gamesite.
Or, they can start their own.
There are no legal protections that force others to allow you to say whatever you want.

Read the posting Hx of this idiot.