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French Court Rules That Facebook Can Now Be Sued in France (thestack.com)

Posted by yaelk on from the the-french-didnt-surrender dept.

An anonymous reader writes: A Paris court of appeal has ruled in favor of a French complainant whose account was suspended, because he linked to an image of the 1866 Gustav Courbet nude 'L'Origine du monde', currently residing at the Musee d'Orsay. The appeals court not only agreed that the user's suspension by Facebook constitutes censorship, but the ruling itself negates Facebook's insistence that all legal challenges take place in its native California.

6 of 145 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Well... by MightyMartian · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Much like Italy covered up all those naughty Renaissance and classical nudes for the Iranian delegation, because, you know, genitals are EVIL!!!!!!!!!

    --
    The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
  2. Good for France. by Motherfucking+Shit · · Score: 5, Insightful

    At a very basic level, here's the deal. If you're going to operate as a multi-national company, and you're going to offer and promote your services around the globe, then you need to be responsible for and liable to the laws of the land in each of those territories. If you operate in France and you violate the law in France, then you should be subject to penalty in France.

    You don't get to shuffle all of your American tax liability through a double Dutch Sandwich with an Irish muffin, or whatever the hell it is, and simultaneously force French legal complaints to be arbitrated in California. You can't have it both ways.

    --
    "BSD: Free as in speech. Linux: Free as in beer. Windows 10: Free as in herpes." --Man On Pink Corner in #52607549.
    1. Re:Good for France. by xaxa · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Without bothering to read the article, it's probably relevant that the user in question is a resident of France, and access the site from France.

      Facebook obviously know this, as it's a key attribute used to target advertising.

  3. Women by 110010001000 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Women should not be treated as sex objects. This isn't 1866 anymore! Grow up Gustav. Put some clothes on her and teach her to code!

  4. Incorrect Summary by Translation+Error · · Score: 5, Informative

    The appeals court not only agreed that the user's suspension by Facebook constitutes censorship, but the ruling itself negates Facebook's insistence that all legal challenges take place in its native California.

    According to the article, the court didn't say anything about the alleged censorship. It just ruled that the clause in Facebook's terms and conditions that all lawsuits had to take place in California was invalid.

    --
    When someone says, "Any fool can see ..." they're usually exactly right.
  5. Re:Well... by stephanruby · · Score: 5, Informative

    Facebook could have just put a fig leaf over the offending parts...

    For the puritanical Americans and for the Middle East.

    For everyone else, they could have just left the image as is.