In a victory for free speech rights, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit said the Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) rules on
indecency are too vague and violate the First Amendment.
On Tuesday, the appeals judges called the FCC's policy, in place since
2004, "unconstitutionally vague, creating a chilling effect that goes
far beyond the fleeting expletives at issue here." The vagueness left
broadcasters uncertain about what they could air, which impinged on
their freedom of speech, the judges said.
We hope this decision will ultimately carry over into other forms of media, including the Internet, to provide some form of objectivity when it comes to various forms of expression.