Internet libel

7 Stories

Vicious Small-Town Gossip Gets Online Forum

The virtual stuff is anonymous and nasty

(Newser) - It’s small-town gossip 2.0: Tiny towns in the Ozarks, Appalachia, and elsewhere are increasingly turning to the Internet for local chatter—and when posts are anonymous, they can get nasty. On sites like Topix.com, cruel rumors get started virtually, and true or not, the fallout can be...

Food Blogger Jailed for Complaining About Noodles

Judge ruled Taiwan woman didn't have the evidence to declare them salty

(Newser) - Be careful what you blog about in Taiwan. One woman, identified only as Mrs. Liu, learned that lesson the hard way recently, after she complained on her little-read blog about the Sichuan Flavor Beef Noodle Restaurant in Taichung. The place, she wrote, was full of cockroaches, the owner was a...

Court Finds Google Defamed Sex Offender

Suggest function linked his name with 'rapist'

(Newser) - Apparently Google’s auto-suggest function—you know, the one that tries to guess what you might be searching for as you type—can commit defamation. The Superior Court of Paris has convicted Google of “public slandering of a private individual” after a convicted sex offender discovered that typing his...

Facebook 'Suck Sites' Have Their Day in Court

Defamation lawsuit against angry student may set a precedent

(Newser) - A lawsuit filed by administrators at an Illinois beauty school may set a precedent regarding so-called “suck sites,” the Chicago Tribune reports. Nicholas Blacconiere, a student at the Salon Professional Academy of Elgin, welcomed classmates to criticize teachers on a Facebook page. After students posted accusations of teacher...

Landlord Sues Tenant Over Derogatory Tweet

Chicago firm claims libel after resident posts mold complaint

(Newser) - Twitter enthusiasts may want to watch what they write—a Chicago landlord has sued a tenant for libel after she posted a Tweet complaining about her apartment, the Tribune reports. “Who said sleeping in a moldy apartment was bad for you? Horizon realty thinks it’s okay,” Amanda...

Chiropractor Sues Over Bad Online Review

San Fran libel case could break back of review sites

(Newser) - A chiropractor's lawsuit has the potential to break the back of the online business-review industry, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. The bone-cracker is suing a client who posted a complaint on review site Yelp that suggested he was dishonest with insurance companies. "I think he is trying to scare...

Model Sues Google Over 'Skank' Diss

Vogue star demands company reveal identity of blogger/insult-slinger

(Newser) - A Vogue model is suing to force Google to unmask a blogger responsible for a slew of catty comments about her. The blog, on a Google-owned site, labels Liskula Cohen "psychotic" and a "skanky" superstar. "We think we have a case," her lawyer told the New ...

7 Stories