FIRE Urges 20 Washington Cities to Revise Comment Rules
The civil liberties group says social media comment policies in Kennewick, Pasco, Richland and 17 other cities may violate the First Amendment.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in City Hall
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The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression sent letters Thursday, Oct. 29, to 20 Washington cities, including Kennewick, Pasco and Richland, asking them to revise social media policies that limit comments and engagement on government posts. The group argues the policies restrict online comments based on viewpoint.
Why it matters
Municipal social media accounts are increasingly used for public information, so rules governing who can comment carry First Amendment implications for residents across Washington. FIRE argues that vague, subjective policies could be used as pretexts for censorship by public officials.
FIRE sent letters to 20 Washington cities on Thursday, Oct. 29, targeting policies that limit offensive language, personal attacks, political statements and unintelligible comments. Kennewick administrators said the letter is under review, while no response has been reported from Richland or Pasco officials.
The players
Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE)
A nonprofit civil liberties organization that advocates for free speech rights and has previously pressured municipalities in Tennessee and Texas to change social media practices.
Harry Boesche
A legal consultant with the Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC) who has written guidance on balancing public comments under municipal social media accounts.
The details
The policies allow cities to delete comments or block users who violate their rules. FIRE says cities may limit off-topic statements, business advertising and offensive or threatening language, but not on the basis of viewpoint. Kennewick said its social media sites exist to provide information about city programs, services and events.
Timeline
Thursday, Oct. 29: FIRE sends letters to 20 Washington cities.
2024: Harry Boesche of MRSC publishes a post on balancing public comments under municipal social media accounts.
Political Context
FIRE previously pressured Bristol, Tenn., and San Antonio, Texas, to reverse social media and public commenting practices, and the Washington letters extend that campaign to 20 cities. The core dispute is whether broad moderation rules serve legitimate limits on off-topic or abusive speech or function as viewpoint-based restrictions on public debate.
Residents who comment on city Facebook pages may have posts deleted or be blocked if their remarks fall under broad categories like political statements or personal attacks. Cities that revise their policies could change how freely residents can critique local government online.
The takeaway
Public comment rules on government social media can shape whether residents feel free to criticize local leaders. Readers who engage with city accounts should check each city's posted policy to understand what gets removed or blocked.
Further reading
For related coverage of municipal governance, see City Hall on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Tri-City Herald.
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