Polk County Commission considers ending comments on official social media pages

The Polk County Commission is scheduled to vote Tuesday morning on a resolution that would completely shut down the public comment sections across all of its official social media platforms to halt the spread of harmful misinformation.Polk County social media changesCommissioner Bill Braswell initiated the discussion after the county's comment sections became hotbeds for incorrect information, personal attacks, and vulgar comments. The county says this online behavior creates confusion and undermines the main purpose of the pages, which is to provide the public with accurate information regarding emergencies and road closures.Residents will still be able to participate and share their opinions in person during the public comment periods at official county meetings.The free speech debateThe Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) weighed in on the county's proposal. Brennan VanderVeen, program counsel for public advocacy at FIRE, explained that while constituents may be u