Web as Defamation Factory

Link: Rome News - Tribune. Be careful what you say on these Internet(s). The web, and especially popular social networking sites, are a virtual defamation factory (waiting to happen in larger numbers). While online defamation is nothing new, its frequency is likely to increase as the "millenials" become less judgment proof. While ISP"s may have substantial immunity via the CDA, private individual certainly do not.

Accusing someone of a criminal act (apparently as was done here) is simply not a very smart thing to do. Sure, "truth" may still be a defense for private individuals suing private defendants (i.e. outside of the reach of Sullivan or Gertz) but the cost of litigation should be more than enough to give you pause.

There is a relative dearth of defamation litigation (sans serious research mind you but I do track these cases on various sites) emerging from MySpace or Facebook at the moment, but that could all change as the "yewts" find their way into their chosen professions (i.e. now with assets for plaintiffs to target).