The Supreme Court has defined public figures as those who have “voluntarily exposed themselves to increased risk of injury by assuming an influential role in ordering society.” When deciding whether someone is a public figure, courts look at whether this person has received press coverage, sought the public spotlight, and has the opportunity to publicly rebut the accusations. Some have argued that social media makes anyone with a public Facebook profile or a certain number of Twitter followers a public figure. Do you agree? Should the Court revisit the definition of “public figure” in light of social media?
