Ex-Cheerleader's Lawsuit Threatens Online Speech

[Chuckt]

The owner(s) of USMB could now be responsible for what others say.

Jones sued and won, largely because U.S. District Judge William Bertelsman ruled the website wasn't shielded from liability by the Communications Decency Act of 1996, or CDA. Bertelsman ruled that because TheDirty.com operator Nik Richie comments on people's posts and invites people to post "dirt," he's responsible for the content posted by others.

The verdict has tech companies including Google, eBay, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft worried. Those and others have filed briefs with the court warning that, if the verdict stands, the legal precedent it sets could cripple the free expression and commerce that has flourished on the Internet.

Ex-cheerleader's lawsuit against website packs impact