socialmedian: Watch Out Trolls, Your Menacing Comments Could Lead to Big Fines

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Watch Out Trolls, Your Menacing Comments Could Lead to Big Fines

Source: ReadWriteWeb

Oct 23, 2009

Summary

In what may be a precedent-setting case, two former Yale University law students have settled their suit brought against some 30-plus anonymous commenters who posted derogatory remarks about them on an internet forum called AutoAdmit. The comments, which ranged from standard insults to those of a more sexually explicit nature, were so vile they prompted the women to sue in order to out the identities of those doing the commenting. According to the plaintiffs, the suit was necessary because the discussion board, a site designed for law school graduates, was often monitored by firms looking to hire. Because the comments were associated with their names, the women claimed that it would hurt their chances of being offered a job.

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The Case

This case had been in litigation for years, having been originally filed back in 2007. The problem stemmed from the fact that internet sites such as AutoAdmit are essentially able to operate under different rules than those that apply to TV and newspapers when it comes to libel. This is due to a law called "Section 230," whi

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Comments (1)

Jungleg,

Oct 23, 2009

Very interesting case that could lead to more regulation of board posters.