Tag Archives: internet

Rap Up the Legal Drama

Internet libel

Although the right to freedom of speech is a protected principle, a court of law may determine whether or not the spoken opinions of one party have infringed upon the rights of an impacted individual. Cardi B, for example, fought back after a celebrity gossip blogger, Tasha K, posted videos that implied that the rapper was employed as a prostitute and used heavy street drugs. While this was the opinion of the blogger, who posted the videos to her YouTube account, there are potential limitations between exercising the First Amendment and exhibiting defamatory behavior. Since filing her defamation lawsuit in 2019, Cardi B has been awarded around $4 million. Continue reading →

Searching for Resolution

Just Google it

Google may list an additional antitrust lawsuit to its resume of accomplishments, as three states and the District of Columbia have filed claims, alleging that the technology company deceived users into believing that they could disable location tracking functions. Despite viewing the message that “You can turn off Location History at any time. With Location History off, the places you go are no longer stored,” Google users were apparently tricked into revealing more of their data. From 2014 to 2019, Google used the collected data for advertising purposes and profited from the deception. Continue reading →

Facebook Settles for a Brighter Future

Recognize this?

Illinois Facebook users are finding some relief in the most recent legal settlement against the social media company.  According to Illinois law, companies may not collect facial recognition information and data without prior consent of the detected individual.  One of Facebook’s features tags photos through the use of software that distinguishes facial similarities.  The lawsuit reached class action status and was originally filed in 2015.  Claimants argued that Facebook did not obtain prior authorization of Illinois residents who use Facebook.  Instead the social media company implemented the feature as a default for users. Continue reading →

Aaron Swartz Internet Activist Dies In Brooklyn

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Found on Flickr with only a few rights reserved.

It’s quite suspicious that, Co-Founder of Reddit and RSS, Aaron Swartz, committed suicide this weekend in his Brooklyn, NY apartment.  It’s even more disturbing to hear that he had been facing charges under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act where he could have been potentially seeing 35 years in prison and up to $1 million dollars in fines.

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A rooftop TV antenna is silhouetted against a dramatic sunset sky with clouds, creating a striking contrast between the structure and the warm background hues of orange and yellow.

Bad Reception: Web-TV Service Avoids Lawsuit

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Hello, is there anybody in there?

There seems to be a buzz in the air around New York City recently and cable/satellite providers aren’t happy about it.  The internet-powered television service, Aereo, allows users to enjoy basic programs for an incredibly small cost and has thrived despite a growing number of lawsuits.  Companies such as Cablevision contend that this alternative to their offerings violates certain copyrights and contracts.  Aereo argues that since their units include small antennas, the analog signal they pick up is free over the airwaves and not breaking any laws.  Aereo, which is backed by media executive Barry Diller, plans to grow their service area over the next few months including major cities such as Washington D.C., Boston, and Chicago. Read more