5 ms·

Is this legal or do you have to state somewhere that the content is fake? If it is, it'll be interesting to see how the law will develop (across the globe) reg

Is this legal or do you have to state somewhere that the content is fake? If it is, it'll be interesting to see how the law will develop (across the globe) regarding fake/generated content in the time of GPTs and such.

cryptoz 4y ago
I mean, the content isn't fake though...? Using multiple usernames on your own website is definitely legal.
- pessimizer 4y ago
  > Using multiple usernames on your own website is definitely legal. I'm sure you can't say this. If I open an ecommerce site and fill it with fake reviews, I'm pretty sure I could end up in legal trouble.
  - fknorangesite 4y ago
    A better analogy here would be "fill it with real reviews, but use multiple usernames."
jprete 4y ago
The content here isn’t fake, so I don’t think this strongly resembles generative AI. As far as I know it’s also legal to astroturf in this way because there’s no claim that every poster is a real user. Even today there are Reddit bots although by convention they make themselves obvious. IANAL but if one were to claim in public that the fake users were real (and there were actual damages) then that may well be actionable in a court of law.
- egeozcan 4y ago
  Ah, okay that makes sense. Thanks for the detailed response!
- pbhjpbhj 4y ago
  I don't think this (comments by someone for commercial reasons not being indicated as such) is legal in the UK, I can't cite the legislation on it. Pretty sure it was in the raft of business requirements that the EU bundled, one of which was business being required to provide a trading address. Perhaps part of the eCommerce directive?
- nonethewiser 4y ago
  Even if you did claim every user was real, how would that be illegal? Defrauding investors is illegal. But fake users isn’t necessarily defrauding investors.
tourgen 4y ago
[dead]
reitanqild 4y ago
It isn't fake, it is just created by another user. I personally have multiple accounts on multiple sites. None of them are fake, all are well behaved I think, but there are some things that are best said with an account linked to my name and some things that are not a problem to discuss pseudonymously that could create major hassle for someone if it was connected to a name.
- pessimizer 4y ago
  > It isn't fake, it is just created by another user. It's not "just created by another user," it's created by the owners under multiple false names meant to give the impression that it's multiple people (sock-puppeting) and that those people are not the owners (literal shilling.) It's an obvious fraud, but the law is probably far behind. Who would sue unless there were some financial risk involved, and without financial risk who would even have standing to sue?
  - nicky0 4y ago
    What would even be the basis for a lawsuit? It's just content on a forum site.
    - EarlKing 4y ago
      If you squinted real hard you'd claim that your time was wasted, and then value your time as a function of revenue earned from your views, and set up a class action suit for everyone who had ever viewed that site and been thusly defrauded. .......and promptly win about $1.98 in the process.
      - deleted 4y ago
        [deleted]
    - nonethewiser 4y ago
      People are assuming it’s a part of financial fraud. Which it obviously isn’t. It’s akin to putting a fake pic on a dating website as far as I’m concerned.

cryptoz 4y ago

I mean, the content isn't fake though...? Using multiple usernames on your own website is definitely legal.

pessimizer 4y ago
> Using multiple usernames on your own website is definitely legal. I'm sure you can't say this. If I open an ecommerce site and fill it with fake reviews, I'm pretty sure I could end up in legal trouble.
- fknorangesite 4y ago
  A better analogy here would be "fill it with real reviews, but use multiple usernames."

jprete 4y ago

The content here isn’t fake, so I don’t think this strongly resembles generative AI. As far as I know it’s also legal to astroturf in this way because there’s no claim that every poster is a real user. Even today there are Reddit bots although by convention they make themselves obvious. IANAL but if one were to claim in public that the fake users were real (and there were actual damages) then that may well be actionable in a court of law.

egeozcan 4y ago
Ah, okay that makes sense. Thanks for the detailed response!
pbhjpbhj 4y ago
I don't think this (comments by someone for commercial reasons not being indicated as such) is legal in the UK, I can't cite the legislation on it. Pretty sure it was in the raft of business requirements that the EU bundled, one of which was business being required to provide a trading address. Perhaps part of the eCommerce directive?
nonethewiser 4y ago
Even if you did claim every user was real, how would that be illegal? Defrauding investors is illegal. But fake users isn’t necessarily defrauding investors.

tourgen 4y ago

[dead]

reitanqild 4y ago

It isn't fake, it is just created by another user. I personally have multiple accounts on multiple sites. None of them are fake, all are well behaved I think, but there are some things that are best said with an account linked to my name and some things that are not a problem to discuss pseudonymously that could create major hassle for someone if it was connected to a name.

pessimizer 4y ago
> It isn't fake, it is just created by another user. It's not "just created by another user," it's created by the owners under multiple false names meant to give the impression that it's multiple people (sock-puppeting) and that those people are not the owners (literal shilling.) It's an obvious fraud, but the law is probably far behind. Who would sue unless there were some financial risk involved, and without financial risk who would even have standing to sue?
- nicky0 4y ago
  What would even be the basis for a lawsuit? It's just content on a forum site.
  - EarlKing 4y ago
    If you squinted real hard you'd claim that your time was wasted, and then value your time as a function of revenue earned from your views, and set up a class action suit for everyone who had ever viewed that site and been thusly defrauded. .......and promptly win about $1.98 in the process.
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]
  - nonethewiser 4y ago
    People are assuming it’s a part of financial fraud. Which it obviously isn’t. It’s akin to putting a fake pic on a dating website as far as I’m concerned.