Reddit might have lost its safe harbor protections, because /u/spez exercised some editorial control over user-generated content. In other words reddit might be legally liable for every user comment.
82 2016-11-24 by [deleted]
In Cubby, Inc v CompuServe Inc, the court found that CompuServe, which provided users with online access to a daily newsletter but did not review its content, was a mere distributor and therefore not liable for false and defamatory statements made in the virtual newsletter. Conversely, in Stratton Oakmont, Inc v Prodigy Services Co, the court held that Prodigy, a bulletin board operator that exercised some editorial control over user-generated content, was a publisher, and thus could be held liable for defamatory statements made by an anonymous user with respect to a brokerage firm. At least some of the statements about the firm (whose story was depicted in the Martin Scorsese film The Wolf of Wall Street) were later found to be true. But it was too late for Prodigy. The joint reading of Cubby and Stratton Oakmont created an unwarranted incentive for content providers to avoid moderating online discourse, because moderating content exposed them to the risk of liability.
Thank goes to hotwheelz for bringing this to my attention.
Milo and Paul Joseph Watson from Infowars statements in The Sun
65 comments