Court Upholds Web Libel Immunity Law
Today the California Supreme Court has ruled that a San Diego woman can not be sued for a libelous e-mail posted on two web sites. The Court agreed with the Communications Decency Act of 1996, which provides immunity to those who publish information on the net that was gathered from other sources, and is seen by many as a victory for internet privacy.
"The prospect of blanket immunity for those who intentionally redistribute defamatory statements on the Internet has disturbing implications," Associate Justice Carol A. Corrigan wrote in the majority opinion. "Nevertheless ... statutory immunity serves to protect online freedom of expression and to encourage self-regulation, as Congress intended."
