Lesbian mother sues Netflix over outing her...

[RadiomanATL]

...presumably so she can get her name in headlines, win a lot of money, and let everyone know she is gay.

Netflix Spilled Your Brokeback Mountain Secret, Lawsuit Claims | Threat Level | Wired.com

 

[paperview]

What a stoooopid lawsuit.

 

[RadiomanATL]

What a stoooopid lawsuit.

Pretty much.

I mean, she posted all the data. Someone else just compiled it. And while movie rentals are considered private information, imdb postings aren't.

Not to mention she is suing and bringing MORE attention to herself. I know she's filing under Jane Doe, but if she thought people were able to put 2 and 2 together before, she's just opening herself up to letting them put 35 and 34 together now.

 

[RadiomanATL]

I just realized too...


She's suing over what MIGHT happen, not what HAS happened (as in most lawsuits).

Now, I'm no legal scholar, but does that aspect of her case have any merit whatsoever? Suing for what may happen?

 

[chanel]

 

[Avatar4321]

You can sue for an injunction to stop what might happen. but you cant sue for damages for something that hasnt happened.

How exactly does watching Brokeback Mountain mean you are a lesbian anyway? Are they actually suggesting that unless you are gay you wouldnt see such a movie?

And she does realize there is a switch that can hide your movie choices from thet public right? all you have to do is select private.

 

[RadiomanATL]

You can sue for an injunction to stop what might happen. but you cant sue for damages for something that hasnt happened.

How exactly does watching Brokeback Mountain mean you are a lesbian anyway? Are they actually suggesting that unless you are gay you wouldnt see such a movie?

And she does realize there is a switch that can hide your movie choices from thet public right? all you have to do is select private.

Well, she contends that Netflix released non-public data, that combined with other public data (such as MB postings) can pinpoint who she really is.

I think it's frivolous, but all the data wasn't public.

 

[chanel]

Didn't she just out herself by filing legal papers?

 

[RadiomanATL]

Didn't she just out herself by filing legal papers?

Yar, I'm pretty sure she's done a better job of it than Netflix did, even though she filed under Jane Doe.

 

[Truthmatters]

But video records count among the most privacy protected records in the U.S. — a reaction to a reporter getting Supreme Court–nominee Robert Bork’s records from a video store. The lead attorney on the new suit, Joseph Malley, recently reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with Facebook over its failed Beacon program, which drew fire in part for sharing users’ Blockbuster rentals with their friends.
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/12/netflix-privacy-lawsuit/?lame
No one should have to worry about who will see what they select to read or view.

You guys just cant get a grasp on the whole freedom thing huh?

 

[RadiomanATL]

But video records count among the most privacy protected records in the U.S. — a reaction to a reporter getting Supreme Court–nominee Robert Bork’s records from a video store. The lead attorney on the new suit, Joseph Malley, recently reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with Facebook over its failed Beacon program, which drew fire in part for sharing users’ Blockbuster rentals with their friends.

No one should have to worry about who will see what they select to read or view.

You guys just cant get a grasp on the whole freedom thing huh?

You can read. Good. Now did you read the rest? Ya know, the part where Netflix hid the identities and the only way it could be determined who she was when you combined the Netflix data with other public data that she herself posted. The Netflix data, as a standalone, didn't seem to violate anything.

And if she was "outed", then why the hell is she filing under Jane Doe? Seems to me that if the very fact that she is filing under Jane Doe precludes any "outing".

 

[Truthmatters]

Thursday’s suit argues that the information is personal data protected by Netflix’s privacy policy, and that NetFlix should have known that people would be able to identify users based on that data alone. In fact, just two months before NetFlix launched the contest, AOL released “anonymized” search-engine logs, which reporters quickly used to track down real people.

So it wasn’t surprising that just weeks after the contest began, two University of Texas researchers — Arvind Narayanan and Vitaly Shmatikov — identified several NetFlix users by comparing their “anonymous” reviews in the Netflix data to ones posted on the Internet Movie Database website. Revelations included identifying their political leanings and sexual orientation.
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/12/netflix-privacy-lawsuit/?lame

 

[Big Black Dog]

...presumably so she can get her name in headlines, win a lot of money, and let everyone know she is gay.

Netflix Spilled Your Brokeback Mountain Secret, Lawsuit Claims | Threat Level | Wired.com

Sounds like a pretty queer thing to do...

 

[William Joyce]

Gayest. Lawsuit. Ever.

 

[Truthmatters]

Gayest. Lawsuit. Ever.

is there anyone you dont hate?

 

[PatekPhilippe]

But video records count among the most privacy protected records in the U.S. — a reaction to a reporter getting Supreme Court–nominee Robert Bork’s records from a video store. The lead attorney on the new suit, Joseph Malley, recently reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with Facebook over its failed Beacon program, which drew fire in part for sharing users’ Blockbuster rentals with their friends.
Netflix Spilled Your Brokeback Mountain Secret, Lawsuit Claims | Threat Level | Wired.com
No one should have to worry about who will see what they select to read or view.

You guys just cant get a grasp on the whole freedom thing huh?

I could care less what anyone else watches or who sees what I watch...if you got to keep your reading list and video list a secret, I would worry about what you are reading and watching that needs to be kept a secret from others.

 

[RadiomanATL]

Thursday’s suit argues that the information is personal data protected by Netflix’s privacy policy, and that NetFlix should have known that people would be able to identify users based on that data alone. In fact, just two months before NetFlix launched the contest, AOL released “anonymized” search-engine logs, which reporters quickly used to track down real people.

So it wasn’t surprising that just weeks after the contest began, two University of Texas researchers — Arvind Narayanan and Vitaly Shmatikov — identified several NetFlix users by comparing their “anonymous” reviews in the Netflix data to ones posted on the Internet Movie Database website. Revelations included identifying their political leanings and sexual orientation.
Netflix Spilled Your Brokeback Mountain Secret, Lawsuit Claims | Threat Level | Wired.com

Yar, so? They were able to match up that GheyInSanFran on Netflix is the same person as IHeartBush on imdb.com

So how is this outing again? And how is filing a federal lawsuit LESS of an outing?

 

[saveliberty]

The settlement figures suggested are interesting. This mom is worried about her identity being revealed and the financial and social problems that could relate to this disclosure. The horrors that await. A job loss, ridicule at school and problems with the neighbors perhaps? So what lofty figure will help us deal with this terrible miscarriage of justice? A million dollars? No. $500,000? Nope. $2,500 will do nicely.

 

[Ravi]

Maybe I read the story wrong, but it looks like Netflix released her Netflix ratings and her identifying information...as far as I know that is a violation of privacy.

Good reason never to put your real zip code and birth date on any website.

 

[Neotrotsky]

It be interesting to see what rentals make one or show one to be a lesbian