Twitter faces free-speech dilemma

There is no question Americans have the right to free speech. But what about the right to free tweet?

Does your opinion change if the family of a journalist gruesomely beheaded at the hands of a terrorist asks the photos be removed from social media?

That's the problem Twitter Inc. (NYSE: TWTR) faced this past week when James Foley's family asked the company to remove the graphic images of their son, which spread like wildfire through retweets on the social media site.

The Wall Street Journal reports Twitter's broad free-speech stance came into focus Tuesday, when the company said immediate family members could email a special address to request the removal of images and videos of deceased individuals.

Hours later, it announced  it would remove Foley images and video if it came across them, but not actively seek them out.

The move angered many users.

Read more about Twitter's move and the First Amendment implications from the Wall Street Journal.