I know most of you enjoy the privilege of visiting various web sites and leaving insensitive, offensive and downright cruel comments. Somehow the anonymity of the internet brings out the worst in people. You say things you would never say face-to-face and you use language that would make your mama cringe. The comments section of sites around the world give you the freedom to be the biggest racists, sexists, and overall jerk-offs you want to be. You can talk all the smack you want from the safety of your computer in your mother's basement.
Until now.
One "model" has won her suit against Google and a judge says that the identities of the anonymous commenters who called her a "whore" on Youtube must be revealed.
The New York Daily News is reporting that Columbia University MBA graduate Carla Franklin went after Google in August in an attempt to unmask her online tormentor, who called her a bunch of nasty names on Youtube.
Franklin, a former model with degrees from Duke and Columbia brought a law suit against Google in an attempt to unmask the random user who talked trash about her on Google-owned Youtube.
As a 1999 Duke University graduate with degrees in biology and psychology, Franklin appeared in several YouTube videos put up by Columbia Business School that show her travels to Africa and showcase her offering advice to incoming MBA students.
However, one user was not impressed. Some bozo using the name "greyspector09" proceeded to call Franklin everything but a child of God. Franklin was alerted to the slurs by her friends.
"People hide behind these shields and think they can just post anything," said David Fish, Franklin's lawyer. "Hopefully, we can put a stop to this."
Fish petitioned the court in August to force Google to turn over what will likely amount to the IP addresses of each of the commenters, which is probably all the information Google has.
The filing had said that the comments on YouTube, "were made with the intention to harm Ms. Franklin's reputation and interfere with her relationships, employment and livelihood," and that if Franklin and her legal team can determine the identity of the commenter(s), they will sue for, "personal humiliation, mental anguish and damage to her reputation."
Now, in all fairness, I think this is generally a load of crap. Sure someone calling you a whore on a Youtube comment may hurt your feelings, but is it really humiliating? Does it really cause damage to your reputation? Do people really look at Youtube comments to assess your reputation? I could see if they gave times, dates, pictures, but a random "whore"-calling? Personally, I think its a bit of a crock.
However, the legal system is increasingly being used by people offended by "comments" on the Internet.
"As more and more people publish online, we have seen more and more cases involving online speech and libel," said Sandy Barron of the Media Law Resource Center, an organization devoted to analyzing trends in First Amendment law. "Simply firing off something because it feels good at the moment may not feel quite as good later if and when you're forced to defend a libel case."
Franklin seeks to have Google and YouTube turn over the names, addresses and phone numbers of whoever labeled her a "whore."
This is just a little something to think about before you create your dumb little user names and go around talking trash about your ex on the internet. You may feel big and bad now, but we'll see how big and bad you are when the law comes knocking and you no longer have your keyboard to hide behind.
Consider yourselves warned.