$11m to online libel victim

The full amount awarded by a Florida court was actually $11.3 million. It went to "a woman who suffered a campaign of abusive harassment on an online bulletin board," VNUNET in the UK reports. "The case got to court following a personal vendetta by a former acquaintance" of the victim. The "vendetta" was in the form of "malicious accusations" on the discussion board. USATODAY reports that the award "represents the largest such judgment over postings on an Internet blog or message board," and in a separate article that "in the past two years, more than 50 lawsuits stemming from postings on blogs and website message boards have been filed" across the US. VNUNET adds that "the award may encourage web users to be more circumspect when posting comments on unmoderated boards and blogs," or social-networking sites, for that matter. This is not just about adults. I'm reminded of the Texas high school principal suing students for defamation. Parents need to be aware of what their kids are doing and saying publicly, which includes community Web sites.