Last Updated on January 27, 2020 by Christopher G Mendla
There is a story about a couple who were accused of sexual crimes. They were found not guilty. However, a lot of people were posting in Topix about it.
The couple is now suing almost 200 of the posters for defamation. The court has ordered Topix to release identifying information about the posters.
This is a sticky issue. On one hand, the internet should not be a place where people can blindly attack others. However, there is also the issue of privacy and free speech.
I suppose it would be best to always weasel word any postings with stuff like “IF the allegations are true” or talk in generalities not mentioning the individual. You do not want to say stuff like “Yeah they look sleezy and I’ll bet their dogs are even nervous around them”.
If you are a business owner, you probably wnat to make absolutely sure that your employees aren’t posting to forums or social sites using your systems or a company email account.