The Real Issue: Online Libel or Free Speech

Online libel and slander is definitely a real problem, not an imagined one. Online commentators are used to being afforded a certain amount of free speech protections, though. This court case presents a real issue.

The Indianapolis Star went to court Monday to protect the identity of an online commenter named in a defamation suit.The commenter, who goes by the name of DownwiththeColts, attacked former Junior Achievement CEO Jeffrey Miller on IndyStar.com, alleging that mismanaged funds could be found in Miller’s bank account.A Marion County judge ordered The Star to reveal the name of the commenter, but the newspaper elected to take the case to the Indiana Court of Appeals instead.

There are reasonable arguments to be made by both sides–in favor of free speech and against libel online. However, the truth is that search engine reputation management would solve all of this much easier.