Internet Law

7th Circuit reinstates lawyer’s defamation suit over Jezebel blog comment

A Chicago lawyer who alleged he was defamed by a comment to a Jezebel blog story may pursue his claim because he alleged blog employees, rather than readers, helped create and develop at least some of the comments. The Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court reinstated lawyer Meanith Huon’s defamation claim…

Nov 16, 2016 10:07 AM CST

WikiLeaks founder is questioned in Ecuadorian embassy about rape allegations

An Ecuadorean prosecutor questioned WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at the Ecuadorean embassy in London on Monday as part of Sweden’s investigation into allegations Assange committed rape in 2010. Swedish Chief Prosecutor Ingrid Isgren posed the questions through the Ecuadorean prosecutor, report CNN, Reuters, NPR, the Guardian and Sky News. The…

Nov 14, 2016 11:59 AM CST

After $140M jury award, Hulk Hogan settles Gawker lawsuit for at least $31M

Corrected: Gawker Media has agreed to pay at least $31 million to settle a privacy invasion case filed by Hulk Hogan over publication of a sex video. The monetary amount was revealed in documents filed in Gawker’s bankruptcy, report the New York Times DealBook blog, LawNewz and the Hollywood Reporter.…

Nov 2, 2016 12:55 PM CDT

Judge says Airbnb user who alleged host bias is bound by online arbitration clause

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has found an African-American man can’t sue Airbnb over alleged bias by one of the website’s hosts, because suits are banned by an arbitration agreement. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled on Tuesday that plaintiff Gregory Selden is bound by the mandatory arbitration clause…

Nov 2, 2016 11:34 AM CDT

Is cyberbullying free speech?

Bullying is a persistent problem for educators and lawmakers, particularly with the ubiquity and popularity of social media platforms. The problem has become so embedded in the culture that 23 states have cyberbully laws.

Nov 1, 2016 2:50 AM CDT

Supreme Court will consider constitutionality of law banning sex offenders from social media

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to consider the constitutionality of a law that bars registered sex offenders from accessing Facebook and other social media. The North Carolina law is being challenged by Lester Packingham of Durham, who pleaded guilty in 2002 to taking indecent liberties with a 13-year-old…

Oct 31, 2016 3:26 PM CDT

Suit claims lawyers used ‘stooge defendants’ to get courts to order scrubbing of bad online reviews

A federal lawsuit filed on behalf of pissedconsumer.com claims two California lawyers filed lawsuits that used “stooge defendants” to pose as authors of bad reviews to obtain court orders removing the pages from search engine results. The Oct. 21 complaint (PDF) filed in federal court in Northern California claims the…

Oct 24, 2016 10:52 AM CDT

Are lawsuits using fake defendants to get material removed from websites?

About 25 lawsuit filed across the country have some suspicious similarities. All use “similar snippets of legalese,” though the plaintiffs claim to be representing themselves, the Volokh Conspiracy reports. And all of the defendants quickly agreed to injunctions that are likely to spur websites such as Yelp and RipOffReport.com to…

Oct 13, 2016 8:00 AM CDT

CEO of Backpage.com is charged with pimping

An investigation of Backpage.com’s escort ads has led to the arrest of the website’s CEO on pimping charges. Carl Ferrer was arrested in Houston on Thursday on charges of pimping, pimping a minor and conspiracy to commit pimping, report the Washington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle and the New York…

Oct 7, 2016 9:46 AM CDT

Secret warrant from intelligence court reportedly authorized Yahoo email scans

A secret warrant reportedly issued by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court last year authorized Yahoo scans of emails for specific information requested by the U.S. government, according to two anonymous government officials. The warrant was issued under the authority of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, two unnamed…

Oct 6, 2016 9:47 AM CDT

Service of process via Twitter is allowed in suit against Kuwaiti man accused of funding ISIS

A federal magistrate judge in San Francisco has approved service of a lawsuit via Twitter on an overseas Kuwaiti national accused of helping fund ISIS. U.S. Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler allowed the Twitter service in a suit by the nonprofit St. Francis Assisi, the Technology & Marketing Law Blog reports.…

Oct 4, 2016 7:00 AM CDT

‘Internet of things’ panel has a thing about security

Panelists for the CLE discussion had a lot of warnings about security and liability.

Oct 1, 2016 1:10 AM CDT

Federal judge says it’s ‘outrageous’ that BigLaw firm sent associate to court

Updated: A federal judge in Brooklyn said last week it was “outrageous, irresponsible and insulting” that Kirkland & Ellis sent an associate—and no partner—to represent Facebook at a court hearing. U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis told Kirkland associate Aulden Burcher-DuPont last Thursday that the law firm should “scrounge up a…

Sep 26, 2016 8:15 AM CDT

Facing a bias suit and criticism, Airbnb takes steps to curb discrimination by its hosts

Airbnb is trying to reduce bias by its hosts after a lawsuit and a study alleged that blacks who try to rent through the website are experiencing discrimination. In a report released on Thursday, Airbnb says it will ask its hosts beginning on Nov. 1 to pledge not to discriminate,…

Sep 9, 2016 10:50 AM CDT

Chief justice blocks congressional subpoena of Backpage; website claims First Amendment harms

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. has blocked a subpoena by a Senate subcommittee seeking information on how Backpage.com screens and edits its online ads. Roberts granted a stay (PDF) on Tuesday after Backpage.com argued the subpoena violates the First Amendment rights of its CEO, Carl Ferrer, report the Associated…

Sep 7, 2016 10:05 AM CDT