Filed under: Web, Social Networking
In April, we told you about the unfortunate plight of Justin Kurtz, a 21-year-old college student who found himself battling defamation charges after creating a group on Facebook to publicize his dissatisfaction with a local towing company. Not long after its birth, the group began growing, with many Kalamazoo, Michigan locals flocking to the forum in order to air their own grievances with the company. Although Kurtz only created the forum to express his discontent with T&J Towing’s exorbitant charges, that didn’t stop the company from demanding over $750,000 in damages from the student. And, as it turns out, Kurtz isn’t alone.
With the rise of social networking, more people have begun flocking to the Internet to vent, rant or complain about local businesses, and, in response, businesses have started taking them to court. But, as the New York Times explains, many lawyers aren’t convinced of the legality of these suits, which are commonly known as strategic lawsuits against public participation, or “Slapp.” The term is often used to describe any frivolous defamation suit, typically filed as a way to bully outspoken citizens into settlement agreements.
Continue reading Congress Considers Reining in Online Defamation Lawsuits
Congress Considers Reining in Online Defamation Lawsuits originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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