Internet Law

Kagan and 3 conservative justices dissent as Supreme Court blocks Texas restrictions on social media

The U.S. Supreme Court voted 5-4 on Tuesday to temporarily block a Texas law that bans large social media companies from restricting posts based on viewpoint.

Jun 1, 2022 10:29 AM CDT

Prosecutors are cracking down on online romance scams

In 2020 and 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice website posted at least 10 news releases about separate indictments involving romance scams. In 2021, people reported losing a total of $547 million to the crimes, and that was an 80% increase over 2020. The numbers could be greater than that because many romance scams go unreported. Trying to avoid judgment from peers is one reason, and blackmail from scammers is another.

Jun 1, 2022 3:20 AM CDT

New book explores the spread and hazards of ‘bad speech’ on the internet and its risk to democracy

In their upcoming book, Social Media, Freedom of Speech and the Future of Our Democracy, two of America’s leading First Amendment scholars tap a high-profile cast of contributors to explore whether there is anything we can—or should—do about the proliferation of problematic speech online.

Jun 1, 2022 1:20 AM CDT

Florida law banning social media censorship is likely unconstitutional, 11th Circuit says

A federal appeals court on Monday blocked parts of a Florida law that prevent social media companies from banning political candidates, deprioritizing political messages or censoring content by journalistic enterprises.

May 24, 2022 8:55 AM CDT

Weekly Briefs: Judge lifts Trump sanction, for now; $997M settlement offered in condo collapse

Judge willing to accept $110K, cooperation to end Trump sanction A trial-level judge in New York lifted a $10,000 daily civil contempt sanction against former President Donald Trump on Wednesday. But Judge Arthur Engoron warned that the sanction could be reinstated if Trump doesn’t pay $110,000 in accumulated fines and…

May 13, 2022 2:37 PM CDT

Texas law banning censoring of social media users for viewpoints can take effect, 5th Circuit says

A federal appeals court has allowed a Texas law to take effect that prohibits larger social media platforms from censoring users based on their political views.

May 13, 2022 9:06 AM CDT

All internet service providers in US must block 3 pirate streaming sites, federal judge rules

A federal judge in New York City has ordered every internet service provider in the United States to block three pirate streaming services that are rebroadcasting copyrighted Israeli shows in this country.

May 5, 2022 9:44 AM CDT

Weekly Briefs: Coca-Cola ex-GC’s $12M deal criticized; DOJ mostly loses first of six wage-collusion cases

Coca-Cola’s $12M deal with former GC is criticized Proxy advisory firm Glass Lewis & Co. is advising shareholders to vote against Coca-Cola’s executive compensation plan because of the beverage company’s $12 million consulting agreement with its former general counsel, Bradley Gayton. The report said the “outsized payments” could be indicative…

Apr 15, 2022 1:34 PM CDT

Top Colorado court strikes down phrase in cyberbullying law as ‘substantially overbroad’

The Colorado Supreme Court has ruled that the phrase “intended to harass” in its cyberbullying law violates First Amendment protections, as well as a free speech provision in the state constitution.

Mar 31, 2022 10:28 AM CDT

Supreme Court Roundup: Win for storage locker robber; Cosby victory; Thomas on Section 230

A storage locker robber and actor and comedian Bill Cosby had victories in the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday, while Justice Clarence Thomas called for consideration of the immunity afforded to online publishers.

Mar 8, 2022 11:58 AM CST

A dark—and potentially illegal—side of YouTube

“In the end, we need to be very conscious of the methods we use for research, but we also need to be mindful of the imagery and information we digest, whether technically legal or not.”

Mar 1, 2022 8:53 AM CST

Defendants want new trials because of racist Facebook posts said to be written by their lawyer

Lawyers for at least two convicted men in Massachusetts are seeking new trials because of racist and offensive Facebook posts thought to have been written by their now-deceased defense lawyer.

Feb 24, 2022 8:49 AM CST

Can undercover cops use Snapchat content for prosecution? It depends, top state court rules

The top state court in Massachusetts on Monday ruled against a Snapchat user who was prosecuted after posting a gun video seen by a "friend" who turned out to be an undercover police officer.

Feb 9, 2022 10:37 AM CST

Weekly Briefs: Appeals courts rule in lawyer restitution cases; tribes agree to opioid settlement

Ex-BigLaw partner must pay $537M in tax fraud scheme Paul M. Daugerdas, a former Jenkens & Gilchrist partner, lost an appeal in his tax fraud case before the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at New York on Monday. Daugerdas had challenged financial penalties imposed after his 2013 conviction for…

Feb 4, 2022 3:15 PM CST

Lawyer kicked off LinkedIn for alleged self-promotional posts loses appeal of consumer fraud case

A New Jersey appeals court has affirmed the dismissal of a lawyer’s lawsuit against LinkedIn for kicking him off the platform.

Jan 27, 2022 10:34 AM CST