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August 1, 2017 11:00 PM By George Solis

BALTIMORE (WJZ) The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Maryland is suing Maryland Governor Larry Hogan for his alleged Facebook censorship.

RELATED:A Slap In The Face(book): Comments Deleted, Some Banned From Gov. Hogans Page

The ACLU claims comments were deleted and people were banned from posting on Governor Larry Hogans official Facebook page after posting comments critical of Hogan on his page.

The lawsuit comes after a similar lawsuit was filed against President Donald Trump for blocking some users from his Twitter page.

RELATED:Trump Sued For Blocking Some Of His Critics On Twitter

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of four people who the ACLU says have been censored by Governor Hogan. It seeks a permanent injunction against the Governors unconstitutional social media policy as enforced by the Governor and his staff.

Those that disagree have been deleted and censored. So, it gives much rosier picture of the state of affairs in Maryland than is actually real, said ACLU legal director Debbie Jeon.

In February, when asked about the allegations the governor fired back saying it was justified.

Many of the people on there are putting hateful, rude, you know profane death threats racist comments and sometimes just repetitively spamming, Hogan said.

It was also in February that WJZ spoke with Allison Heintz who said her post was nothing of the sort but was still blocked.

I find it insulting to be called a spammer, Heintz said.

Heintz has since been unblocked from the governors Facebook page but others, like those involved in the lawsuit, said their first amendment rights are still being violated.

One of the individuals being represented in the lawsuit said their post was neither threatening or rude but merely inquiring about the governor stance on the proposed travel ban.

One legal expert said this isnt the first case of its kind. Its a complicated issue that likely wont being ruled on local courts.

I think ultimately it will end up either this case or a case similar to this in the Supreme Court, said attorney Warren Alperstein.

The lawsuit was filed in Greenbelt, Maryland on behalf of four Facebook users.

In February, the governors office said that about 450 people had been banned from the governors Facebook page over two years for spam or abusive language.

Governor Hogans office released the following statement:

This frivolous lawsuit is completely without merit, a waste of taxpayer dollars, and has more to do with partisan politics than anything else. The governors office has a very clear social media policy, and we will continue to remove all hateful and violent content and coordinated spam attacks to foster an open and constructive dialogue. Ultimately, with all of the challenges we face in this country and across the globe, we can all agree that the ACLU should be focusing on more important issues than monitoring Facebook pages.

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ACLU Says Governor Is Censoring Commenters On Facebook Page

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George Solis joined the WJZ-TV in March 2016. A Southwest Florida native, George is excited to live and explore the Northeast! Prior to relocating to Charm City, George spent three years reporting in his hometown of Fort Myers,...

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ACLU Suing Gov. Hogan Over Alleged Facebook Censorship - CBS Baltimore / WJZ

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) notified a number of software developers Saturday that their virtual private network iOS apps would no longer be accessible in censorship-heavy China.

Consumers use the VPNs to circumvent the governments Great Firewall filtering internet content and limiting access to overseas sites, which renders some of the app features illegal and non-compliant with App Store guidelines.

A spokesperson implied that the decision is punitive merely for VPN developers failing to secure a government license.

We have been required to remove some VPN apps in China that do not meet the new regulations, Carolyn Wu, Apples China spokeswoman, told Bloomberg.

The apps are still available in other global markets, and at least one developer noted its continued accessibility in China through non-iOS platforms. ExpressVPN confirmed that users with international billing addresses will still be allowed to access the app in China.

Still, it expressed concern with the latest restrictions.

Were disappointed in this development, as it represents the most drastic measure the Chinese government has taken to block the use of VPNs to date, and we are troubled to see Apple aiding Chinas censorship efforts, the firm wrote in a press release. ExpressVPN strongly condemns these measures, which threaten free speech and civil liberties.

Golden Frog and Star VPN responded similarly.

We view access to internet in China as a human rights issue, and I would expect Apple to value human rights over profits, Golden Frog President Sunday Yokubaitis told the New York Times.

While many took the occasion to debate Apples social responsibility, some discussed the firms Catch-22 business position. Nearly a quarter of global sales come from China.

One argument is that, for the sake of its continuation in the Chinese market, Apple needed to submit to government standards and comply with regulations.

Conversely, some point out that its decision effectively repels consumers, whose only incentive to buy Apple over Android was the formers capacity to bypass security.

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Apple Bows To Chinese Regulators, Removes Internet Censorship-Defying Apps - Benzinga

FRANKFORT, Ky.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky filed a federal lawsuit Monday regarding Gov. Matt Bevin banning or blocking users from his official social media accounts.

The suit seeks a declaration that Bevin's practices are a violation of individuals' First Amendment rights. The ACLU asked for an injunction to prevent the governor from permanently blocking users on Facebook and Twitter.

The suit was filed on behalf of a retired social justice activist from Eastern Kentucky and a politically engaged resident from Louisville who were permanently blocked from posting on Gov. Bevin's official Facebook and Twitter accounts. Their comments involved politics but were not obscene, abusive or defamatory.

"Ive been very active in my community and in Frankfort for the past two years," ACLU client Mary Hargis said. "Ive been frustrated with Gov. Bevins stances on a number of social justice issues. I was shocked when I discovered that I was blocked from further commenting on the governors posts. I may not have voted for Gov. Bevin, but Im one of his constituents. He shouldnt be permanently dismissing my views and concerns with a click."

"I often use the official social media pages of my local, state and federal representatives as a way to share feedback," ACLU client Drew Morgan said. "I was surprised when Gov. Bevin blocked my access to his Twitter page, particularly because of how many times he has asked Kentuckians to follow his social media pages to hear about his ideas and policies directly from him."

The lawsuit states the governor's policy of permanently banning users from engaging in political discussions on his official social media pages isn't tailored to promote legitimate interest in moderating the pages and constitutes unlawful restraint of speech.

"The First Amendment does not allow the government to exclude speakers from a public forum because it disagrees with their viewpoint," ACLU of Kentucky Legal Director William Sharp said. "And even when the government seeks to enforce permissible limits in such a forum, permanently excluding individuals for violating those limits goes too far."

The lawsuit was filed after the governor's office ignored a demand letter from the ACLU regarding more than 600 users whose First Amendment rights had been violated after they were permanently blocked after posting comments on the governor's social media accounts.

The letter asked Bevin to unblock the affected users and develop written criteria for how his administration will moderate its social media pages in the future.

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Lawsuit challenges Gov. Bevin's social media censorship - WLKY Louisville

BEIJINGApple Inc. is removing software from its app store in China that allowed users to circumvent the countrys vast system of internet filters, according to makers of the apps.

Several popular apps giving users access to virtual private networks, or VPNs, that tunnel through Chinas sophisticated system of internet filters disappeared from the mainland China version of Apples App Store on Saturday.

One service, ExpressVPN, said in a blog post that Apple AAPL, -0.70% had notified it that its iOS app was removed from the Chinese App Store. ExpressVPN published a copy of the notice, which said the app included content that was illegal in China.

Read: The stock markets near-term fortunes may ride on Apples earnings

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Another company, Star VPN, said on its Twitter account that it had also received the notice. Searches in the China App store for a number of popular VPN apps turned up no results Saturday evening.

Were disappointed in this development, as it represents the most drastic measure the Chinese government has taken to block the use of VPNs to date, and we are troubled to see Apple aiding Chinas censorship efforts, the ExpressVPN blog post said.

An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com

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Apple removes China censorship-dodging apps from store, software makers say - MarketWatch

Apple has been accused of removing apps from its China App Store that can be used to skirt the country's Internet filters. Above, customers at an Apple Store in Beijing in 2016. Mark Schiefelbein/AP hide caption

Apple has been accused of removing apps from its China App Store that can be used to skirt the country's Internet filters. Above, customers at an Apple Store in Beijing in 2016.

Updated at 5:56 p.m. ET

There are iPhone apps that make it possible to get around China's notorious Internet filters. And on Saturday, makers of those apps said Apple had removed their products from its App Store in China.

It would be another sign of Apple's willingness to help Beijing control its citizens' access to the Internet.

The apps create virtual private networks connecting a user to the Internet via an encrypted connection. In China, VPNs can be used to skirt the government's extensive system of internet controls, sometimes called the "Great Firewall."

"We received notification from Apple today ... that the ExpressVPN iOS app was removed from the China App Store," app maker ExpressVPN said in a blog post. "Our preliminary research indicates that all major VPN apps for iOS have been removed."

"We're disappointed in this development, as it represents the most drastic measure the Chinese government has taken to block the use of VPNs to date, and we are troubled to see Apple aiding China's censorship efforts," the company added.

ExpressVPN, which says it is headquartered in the British Virgin Islands, posted a screenshot of the notice from Apple that its app "includes content that is illegal in China."

Another company, Star VPN, tweeted that its apps were also removed from the China App Store.

In an email to NPR, Apple said: "Earlier this year China's MIIT announced that all developers offering VPNs must obtain a license from the government. We have been required to remove some VPN apps in China that do not meet the new regulations. These apps remain available in all other markets where they do business."

The New York Times reports that Internet crackdowns in China tend to happen about every five years, timed to precede an upcoming congress of the Chinese Communist Party. The Times notes that China is Apple's largest market outside the U.S. In December, Apple pulled the Times app from its app store in China.

ExpressVPN says its apps for other operating systems remain accessible and that it's possible (though it's not easy) for Chinese users to create an account to access another country's App Store, if they list a billing address elsewhere. If they can do so, they can still download VPN apps for the iPhone.

The government's focus on cutting out VPNs is said to be taking other forms, as well.

"A southern China data-services company with over 160 clients said it received orders last week from the Ministry of Public Security, which runs China's police forces, to cut off access to foreign providers of VPNs," The Wall Street Journal reported. "Those orders came days after a luxury hotel in Beijing, the Waldorf Astoria, said in a letter to guests that it had stopped offering VPNs 'due to legal issues in China.' " The newspaper noted that it was unusual for Apple to remove several apps at once.

Apple announced earlier this month that it's building a new data center in Guizhou its first in China that will comply with new Chinese cloud storage regulations. It's part of a $1 billion investment in the southwestern province.

Bloomberg reports the tech company's market share has "fallen as consumers wait for an updated iPhone 8, which is likely to be released later this year, or switch to cheaper Android devices."

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Apple Accused Of Removing Apps Used To Evade Censorship From Its China Store - NPR