AP: Right to free speech not guaranteed online

Americans are accustomed to taking their free speech rights for granted and assume that is the case on the Internet as well. However, with major websites owned by corporations whose primary concern may be to limit controversial content or meet the guidelines set by other nations, even United States citizens may find their Constitutional guarantees do not apply online.

As the public discourse increasingly move onto sites like MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube, any actions by the owners of those sites that limit free speech will thus have a fundamental impact on what can and cannot be openly acknowledged and discussed.