Internet libel: Did a law firm defame a law school?

What do defamation laws do?

Defamation laws exist to discourage people from broadcasting false statements about others.

If a party makes false assertions about any aspect of your character, you have the right, under the defamation laws, to sue that party. Though intended to merely protect individuals’ reputations from falsification, defamation suits run into controversy due to their perception as limiting freedom of speech. In one recent example, debate exists on whether a New York law firm did in fact defame the Thomas M. Cooley School of Law, located in Lansing, Michigan.

Why is the Thomas M. Cooley School of Law suing a New York law firm for defamation?

Cooley claims that the New York law firm Kurzon Strauss LLP defamed the school by asking students to join the law firm in a class action suit against the school. Pointing specifically to information about Cooley students defaulting on their loans, Kuzon Strauss asserted statistics about Cooley that the school claims are libelous and untrue. In order to maintain the reputation of the school, Cooley decided a defamation suit was necessary

In addition to the suit against Kurzon Strauss, the Thomas M. Cooley School of Law filed suit against four anonymous bloggers that the school claims have posted online comments detrimental to the school’s reputation. Cooley representatives claim that though free speech entitles everyone to their own opinions about the school, these particular online comments have crossed the line into defamation. The results of these suits could usher in new standards by which parties are able to recover in defamation suits for content posted over the internet.

What has happened to the Thomas M. Cooley School of Law as a result of its lawsuit?

Pursuant to Cooley’s suit, an attorney for Kurzon Strauss named David Anziska announced plans his firm had for countersuing both the law school, and its lawyers. Anziska claimed that Cooley’s original suit seeks to intimidate his law firm, and that the grounds on which Cooley is suing are unfounded.

Given the relative newness of the internet, this controversy could answer questions about how much is too much in terms of freedom individuals have to post comments on the internet. Proponents of free speech might argue that the best remedy for false information posted over the internet would be for the school to have posted the correct information-not to sue Kurzon Strauss. Others might disagree, instead recognizing that preservation of reputation, even over the internet, demands that the Thomas M. Cooley School of Law win its defamation suit against Kurzon Strauss.

Filed Under: Internet Lawyer Tagged With: defamation laws, defamation suit, internet defamation, internet libel, internet libel did a law firm defame a law school, internet-lawyer, law firm, law-school, new york law, york law firm

Name And Shame Websites: Free Speech or Defamation?

What is a Name and Shame website?

Name and Shame websites are websites that post evidence of and commentary on actions performed by individuals, with the intent of shaming those individuals and others out of future performance.

In the United States, websites such as saltydroid.info post information about individuals with the intent of keeping those individuals from engaging in further actions. Not so much news as it is simply reporting on the misdeeds of others, Name and Shame websites have received scrutiny from those ‘shamed’ on their websites, and from lawmakers. A controversy has emerged where some feel ‘Name and Shame’ websites violate libel laws mean to protect individuals’ personal integrity, while others feel that Name and Shame websites contribute to the vibrant free speech so valuable in the contemporary world.

What did the Dubai based ‘Name and Shame’ website seek to do?

At the forefront of the debate about whether or not governments should allow ‘Name and Shame’ websites to post embarrassing and reputation-crippling information about individuals is a situation emerging out of Dubai. Specifically, a British man living in Dubai recently launched a campaign to ‘Name and Shame’ bad drivers and restaurants that perform poorly. The man claims his intention in launching the campaign was to hold people accountable for their actions through publicly airing his perception of their improper actions.

In an attempt to achieve this goal, the ‘Name and Shame’ man would log his DubaiNameShame website, and post incriminating photographs and analysis thereupon. The Dubai based web-user would then update a Twitter account with information about those posted on the ‘Name and Shame’ website. For example, the DubaiNameShame man could post a picture online of an individual driving poorly, and then other internet users could recognize, identify and, perhaps, ostracize that individual for his/her poor driving.

What happened after the ‘Name and Shame’ website posted information about individuals

Though the British man, whose identity remains unconfirmed, intended that his campaign make Dubai a safer and generally better city to live in, UAE officials might disagree. After having posted many pictures and comments online with the intent of naming and shaming those individuals out of further performance, many complained that the website was going too far. Specifically, some argued that the website violated UAE libel laws.

Fearing legal action, the British man removed all postings from his internet site, and vowed to discontinue posting information that might violate UAE law. The man, however, did promise to continue publishing and brining attention to improper behavior in accordance with UAE libel law. The controversy in its entirety might only directly affect the UAE, but lawmaking bodies and individuals have paid keen attention to the situations, wondering the ramifications it will have for their respective nations and internet communications throughout world in general.

Filed Under: Internet Lawyer Tagged With: internet attorney, internet defamation, internet libel, internet-lawyer, libel law, name and shame, name and shame websites free speech or defamation, shame websites, uae libel law, vibrant free speech

Internet Privacy and Facebook Facial Recognition Software

What does facial recognition software do?

A Carnegie Mellon University researcher recently proved the extent to which a person’s facial features alone can access information about that person.

Assembling a database of around 25,000 pictures acquired by Facebook, this researcher was able to identify individuals walking past him on a university campus with an astounding 31 percent accuracy. In other words, simply by looking at an individual’s facial features, this researcher’s computer program was capable of providing that researcher with the identity, relationship status, and physical address within around three seconds. For some, this technology poses an enormous privacy risk, as program users can know essentially all major details about a person simply by taking a picture of that person, and having a computer analyze that picture in a few seconds.

What are the potential benefits of such technology?

Benefits of the technology have immediately been hailed by various groups. Advertisers, for one, feel that this facial recognition technology could someday lead to more effective advertisements being sent to the individuals most inclined to purchase those goods. Perhaps, they argue, facial recognition technology could serve in a way similar to Google’s Adwords and similar technologies, which allow for the communication between two mutually interested parties.

Law enforcement officials also hail the technology as potentially beneficial for determining the identities for suspected criminals. Rather than relying on names, fingerprints, or other identifying markers, if police were able to use facial recognition software, perhaps they could more effectively complete their job. Prosecutors and other state officials could, perhaps, use technology to prevent wrongful convictions in the future.

What are the potential concerns about facial recognition technology?

Critics of the technology worry that facial recognition software would pose serious privacy concerns if precautions were not taken. They argue that such technology could manifest itself as a stalker’s dream come true. Since information could instantly be accessed about individuals seen at a distance by their mere appearance, stalkers and others could learn detailed information about individuals simply from looking at them from afar, and taking their picture.

Those concerned about the technology also have complained that, in the wrong hands, the technology could be exploited to limit anonymity and the freedom that it guarantees completely. For example, the personal information dating website users often choose not to reveal could be discovered if that user simply posts a single picture of himself/herself online. In the future, perhaps, critics have articulated that businesses, governments, and others could easily gain access to very personal information which could then be used against the individuals posting it.

Filed Under: Internet Lawyer, Privacy Tagged With: enormous privacy risk, facebook facial recognition, facebook privacy, facial recognition, facial recognition software, facial recognition technology, internet attorney, Internet privacy, internet privacy and facebook facial recognition software, internet-lawyer