Freedom of Speech is something that Americans pride themselves in. It seems nice from the outside and compared to other countries, being able to speak your mind. Facebook for example, is a major social media platform for people of all ages. They preach Freedom of Speech, but no one talks about the Fourth Amendment: “the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures”.

It is almost impossible for us to be able to speak our minds when we know that nothing is private. The government has access to everything we say and every action we take on the internet. Although it is easy to talk about Freedom of Speech and how amazing it is, we must take a look at what our own government is doing. If the people do not have the privacy they want, they will not feel free to speak their mind. Something will always be held back. In my opinion, the only circumstance in which the government should have access to our private information is if there is reason of suspicion.

The erosion of privacy completely defeats the purpose of Freedom of Speech, which is all about allowing people to feel safe to say what they want to say. This feeling of safety is stripped from these same people. What is the point of having Freedom of Speech if the people using social media platforms do not feel comfortable enough to utilize that freedom? A majority of the people using social media censor what they say. Censoring what you say is justifiable in some cases. However, social media is a means to express one's self and their values and beliefs. The idea that the government has access to everything said or done online is in total contradiction to our First Amendment.

Resource: Wikipedia

 https://thenextweb.com/podium/2020/01/18/facebook-and-zuckerberg-keep-getting-freedom-of-expression-wrong/