Feel free to insult me
A great decision by a California appeals court holds that Constitutional freedom of speech applies to anonymous forum trolls who say mean and nasty things. Writes Jaqui Cheng, at ArsTechnica:
Anonymous trolls on the Internet are allowed to remain anonymous, a judge in a California appeals court ruled yesterday. Not only that, but they’re allowed to exercise their First Amendment rights and speak their minds, no matter how scathing their comments may be. The court opinion reversed a previous decision that would have allowed Lisa Krinsky, COO of a Florida-based drug service company, to subpoena 10 anonymous Yahoo message board posters’ real names.
According to a post on Slashdot, the court held that the statements, “fall into the category of crude, satirical hyperbole which, while reflecting the immaturity of the speaker, constitute protected opinion under the First Amendment.”
What would the internet be without the freedom to call idiots, well, idiots?
And what insecure idiot sues forum trolls anyway?
Update: Yesterday’s UserFriendly cartoon is apposite:
