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Australia recently took a massive step backwards in this field, passing laws to allow courts to compel platforms to identify users who made allegedly defamatory
by gorby91 3y ago
Australia recently took a massive step backwards in this field, passing laws to allow courts to compel platforms to identify users who made allegedly defamatory posts. This was done under the dubious auspices of "preventing cyber bullying".
Australian defamation law is already extremely plaintiff friendly and has a significant chilling effect on free speech here, especially as against the rich and powerful who can afford to threaten lawsuits against anybody who wrongs them
- parksy 3y agoAre you referring to the Online Safety Act 2021? https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2021A00076 https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2021A00076 Or something else?
- DoItToMe81 3y agoI remember around the time of the first new "cyberbullying" legislation (around 2016 if I remember right), it was almost immediately used to hinder the Carlton Breweries strike by accusing organizers of bullying and cyberbullying for reporting on scab tactics. It's all very two faced.
- Zak 3y agoI don't get the impression from this case that US law would behave much differently. This case involved reddit users who had nothing to do with the litigation and were not, themselves being sued. The court saw fit to protect their right to speak anonymously. In the case of a person making a defamatory post, that person can be sued and reddit would likely be compelled to identify them to the best of its ability.