Too hyperbolic to be believed: How social media is transforming libel law
The Stormy Daniels versus President Trump case has clearly changed how we think about facts and truth. The trial court’s analysis, including examining the President’s social media use, has broadened...
View ArticleWhy we permit fake identities, even for Russian disinformation campaigns
The Senate report on Russia’s disinformation campaign does not challenge using fake identities on the internet to spread information, due in part to U.S. courts affirming the rights to online anonymous...
View ArticleMedia literacy in a time of misinformation: A Q&A with Don Corrigan
“Misinformation” was named the word of the year for 2018, and it’s clear we’ve entered a media world where separating truth from falsity can be difficult. Don Corrigan, professor of journalism at...
View ArticleConcerns about misinformation could lead to limits on key media freedoms
The ability to publish almost anything on the internet without censorship is increasingly facing scrutiny from important voices, with some suggesting it may be time to change the law. Internet...
View ArticleBumble stumbles: State policy interests override dating app’s contractual forum
While most e-commerce providers specify a choice of venue for lawsuits in their customer agreements, certain situations take precedent. In a recent case involving the dating app Bumble, state interests...
View ArticleWith Illinois Supreme Court ruling, tech crimes meet constitutional arguments
In a case addressing the constitutionality of an Illinois statute covering intentional non-consensual dissemination of private sexual images, the state Supreme Court has shed light on how...
View ArticleWhen politi-fact veers into politi-fiction, broadcast and internet...
The legal duties of publishers, broadcasters and social media companies to vet political advertisements duties vary according to the medium involved. In particular, broadcasting and the internet—the...
View ArticleMeeting disinformation with media literacy in 2020: A Q&A with Julie Smith
As the 2020 presidential campaign ramps up, so does the threat of disinformation on the internet. Julie Smith, professor of media literacy at Webster University, has provided insight on how ordinary...
View ArticleInfoWars takedown over coronavirus misinformation illustrates value of...
Google’s recent removal of Alex Jones’ InfoWars from its Google Play service, because of false and misleading information it had been transmitting about the coronavirus, isn’t an aberration. That kind...
View ArticleYou may avoid coronavirus contacts, but you can’t avoid online contracts
While people have moved their activities online to avoid coronavirus contacts, we can be pretty sure they aren’t avoiding coronavirus-era contracts. A lot of online activity involves automatically...
View ArticleExecutive order targeting social media companies unlikely to change...
Don’t count on President Trump’s executive order overturning or significantly restricting the statute that has governed internet freedom in the United States for the last 24 years.
View ArticleCOVID-19 crisis news environment found full of contradictions and concerns
In the wake of the coronavirus crisis, a recent report addresses how we receive and understand news and information.
View ArticleBlogs and other short online works now easier to register for copyrights
Starting August 17, writers of blogs and other short online works will be able to register up to fifty copyrightable works with a single application and a standard fee.
View ArticleDOJ Section 230 report unintentionally highlights dangers of internet...
The report of Attorney General William Barr’s Department of Justice on Section 230, our basic Internet law, acknowledges a key need for Section 230, even while it recommends beginning to dismantle it,...
View ArticleMuting Misinformation: Can we sue to stop misleading political speech?
As we enter the 2020 election season, Americans are likely to be flooded with misinformation and disinformation, particularly on social media. How do we deal with this problem? In Part 1 of our series...
View ArticleMuting Misinformation: What’s the role of social media companies?
In Part 2 of our series on political misinformation, we explore if social media companies can be relied upon to vet and clean up their content during the 2020 political campaign.
View ArticleMuting Misinformation: Can Congress legislate a solution?
In Part 3 of our series on political misinformation, we explore if new Internet legislation passed by governments could be used to prevent the spread of misinformation.
View ArticleMuting Misinformation: Only you can prevent the spread of political untruths
Political misinformation on the Internet is likely to continue, and our previous posts on laws, business practices and reforms have made it apparent that it is up to you, the Web User, to navigate...
View ArticleMuting Misinformation: Resources for identifying and dealing with misinformation
We may be on our own in the world of internet misinformation, but an expert industry is developing about how to spot it and how to better understand the strange world of information on the internet.
View ArticleAmazon and U.S. IPR Center announce “Operation Fulfilled Action”
The U.S. government’s IPR Center and Amazon have announced a joint effort to address counterfeit goods entering the U.S. The operation will analyze data and conduct targeted inspections aimed at...
View ArticleUse of fake identities found deceitful in commercial email — why not...
The Third Circuit Court of Appeals recently had to decide a sensitive and difficult issue: Can you use a false identity to deceive someone when you are selling something by email? After careful...
View ArticleLessons from a long-ago deepfakes prosecution
What can a 150-year-old lawsuit over trick photography teach us about how the courts will determine liability for deepfakes, the video technology that creates disturbingly real-looking fake videos?...
View ArticleDisinformation report suggests major legal reforms
We’re suffering from “information disorder,” according to a report recently issued through the Aspen Institute. That’s not news. But how to solve this problem is the big issue, and the commission’s...
View ArticleFTC warns of penalties for false endorsements
As social media has been “blurring the lines,” the Federal Trade Commission decided to make one thing starkly clear: false endorsements, even through well-meaning consumer testimonials, are illegal.
View ArticleCan Internet mischief be caught?
In addition to being the world’s greatest communications medium, the Internet is one of the most effective conduits for fraud, illegality, and other mischief. Moreover, perpetrators, and the general...
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