Liskula Cohen and free speech
The significance of a court decision ordering Google to identify a blogger who called a model Cohen a "skank"
Should bloggers be allowed their anonymity?
(Corbis/Virgo Productions)
"Bloggers beware," said Andrew Cohen in CBS News. "If you choose to trash-talk online and insult people, you may not be able to hide behind a web of anonymity." A judge has ordered Google to release the identity of a blogger who trashed former Vogue model Liskula Cohen on a blog called "Skanks in NYC." It's about time -- no site should protect bloggers who "hide behind privacy issues" to do "such hurtful things." (watch Good Morning America's report on the Liskula Cohen ruling)
How "scary," said Kim LaCapria in The Inquisitr. Liskula Cohen is a New York party girl -- calling her a whoring "skank" hardly qualifies as libel or slander. And the musings of "Skanks in NYC" -- a site taken down way before Cohen won her lawsuit -- it certainly didn't justify a court ruling that amounts to an attack on the free speech of bloggers everywhere.
There is "anonymous speech that really does need to be anonymous," said InfoWorld's Robert X. Cringely in the San Francisco Chronicle, "like blogs by political dissidents in repressive countries." But this ruling "is not necessarily a bad thing. There is way too much nastiness on the Net hiding under the shield of anonymity." The lesson here is think before you blog -- the person you attack might fight back.
This fight isn't over, said Tracy Clark-Flory in Salon. Cohen needed the identity of the "bilious blogger" to move on to the next step -- a defamation lawsuit destined to be a "circus," as Cohen seeks to prove the insults were false. I'm all for reining in "anonymous trolls" who malign women's sexual reputations online, but the libertarian in me is uneasy. This is certainly a case to watch.
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11 Comments
Posted by gary, Thursday, August 20, 2009, 12:56 pm I have always been a life long advocate of free speech and also the second amendment to bear arms. Reading some of these blogs it is frightening that these bloggers vote, drive and can buy guns and have an unyielding since of right and wrong.Rethinking my positions.
Posted by Randy Thorpe, Thursday, August 20, 2009, 3:32 pm This is ridiculous. Look at some of the insults posted on YouTube and many other sites. Big deal, so what? This model Liskula Cohen is a real sourpuss. Oops, libel and slander? Just kidding.
Posted by CJS , Thursday, August 20, 2009, 3:40 pm So let's see.It's ok under free speech for James Von Brun,Scott Roeder and the Pittsburgh nutjob among others to advocate killing Tiller but a model gets her precious feelings hurt and there's a lawsuit?Must be nice to have legal representation if you are rich and connected.
Posted by dj spellchecka, Thursday, August 20, 2009, 4:20 pm a terrible precedent ....flipping cringely's remark on its head, 'there is way too much nastiness on the net, and that's a reason that the civil among us want to hide under the shield of anonymity.'
Posted by Michael J. Gorman, Thursday, August 20, 2009, 4:31 pm The damage that can be caused by anonymous defamers is too great in our high tech society. Expose the bastards, every one. Nobody who attempts to destroy another should be able to remain anonymous even if he or she speaks the truth. Oh, and by the way, isn't it great that the Swiss Banks will disclose the names of those hiding money from the tax man and the public eye. I can't wait for the big names to come out. If they broke the law, nail them. To hell with the private right to commit crimes and demand protection from the law.
Posted by APatt, Thursday, August 20, 2009, 4:36 pm This is scary that A. it is being reinforced time after time we do NOT have free speech in this country and B. we sue for ANY reason at all. What a bunch of cry babies we have in this country.
Posted by Sarakanne, Thursday, August 20, 2009, 4:45 pm Fascinating story. Too bad this Judge didn't have jurisdiction over Heidemarie Schnitzer, the Austrian national who stalked and threatened to murder actor David Caruso and his family members. Before her arrest, Schnitzer maintained four blogs which she used to promote an internet hate campaign against the actor. For the time being, Schnitzer is cooling her heels in an Austrian jail cell after being convicted earlier this year of stalking and mailing death threats.For more information, google The Stalker Chronicles.
Posted by tyler d., Thursday, August 20, 2009, 8:06 pm Such a freaken skank. Go ahead sue me too.
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