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8 Yelp Reviewers Hit With $1.2 Million Defamation Suits
New submitter goodboi writes: A Silicon Valley building contractor is suing 8 of its critics over the reviews they posted on Yelp. The negative reviews were filtered out by Yelp's secretive ranking system, but in court documents filed earlier this month, Link Corporation claims that the bad publicity cost over $165,000 in lost business.
It's already illegal to intentionally make false statements in writing for the purpose of causing harm. It's called Libel, and it's not new. This is not an "on the internet" law, this is just a law.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
1. Freedom of speech is a government thing.
2. Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from the consequences of such speech. Whether you're Anita Sarkeesian, the Dixie Chicks or Sir Tim Hunt - anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of public opinion - and potentially in the court of law if a target of your speech feels that your speech crossed the boundary into libel / slander / defamation.
In this particular case, the business owner believes that the reviews are malicious, fake, the act of a single person, etc. etc. (read the actual document). Now it's up to the court to decide whether or not Yelp will have to notify the author(s) of those reviews, or hand over personal information directly, etc.
I know, I know who reads TFA. Still, the company in question is suing alleging these reviews are FAKE. That is they are not suing for negative reviews, they are suing unknown people for posting fake negative reviews.
No, read the article. They are sure it is one person harassing them and they are confident they know who it is. The only way to prove it in court is by getting Yelp to turn over any information that can help them identify who it is.