Internet restrictions overturned citing freedom of speech

A US District Judge in Kentucky (USA) overruled a state law restricting Internet use for sex offenders but retained some limits on access to public forums and chatrooms. The judge noted that one the law restricted free speech disproportionately, suggesting it was possible to mainstream offenders without putting ‘children or vulnerable people at risk’, citing offender rehabilitation and finding a job as affected aspects. A similar law was struck down in the US state of North Carolina earlier this year, with that judge noting that: ‘In sum, to foreclose access to social media altogether is to prevent the user from engaging in the legitimate exercise of First Amendment rights.’