[LINK] Media companies scramble after judge rules they are liable for Facebook comments

[Tom Worthington]

On 25/6/19 10:45 pm, Stephen Loosley wrote:

> Possibly this new ruling regarding defamatory remarks is also 
> applicable to Link etc? ...

By a remarkable coincidence, this was just released:

			LINKALEERT - THE LINK INSTITUTE

	Institute Moves Offshore to Avoid Social Media Liability

Dateline: Pvcee Atoll, 26 June 2019

The Link Institute today announced it had moved its Internet server to 
the newly established independent nation of LinkLand, on the artificial 
atoll of Pvcee.

Institute director, Professor Klerphell, said that they were activating 
contingency plans put in place in the event the judge ruled media 
companies were responsible for defamatory remarks on their social media
platforms.

	"We have been worried about this possibility for some time. Our Chinese 
engineering subsidiary was able to apply its artificial island
construction skills, together with materials from our Australian waste
recycling arm, to build Pvcee Atoll in the mid Pacific. As we have
declared independence, our servers are now outside Australian jurisdiction."

Professor Klerphell slammed the Judges decision:

	"Just because our organization set up a social medical forum for
commercial purposes, and encouraged people to say whatever they want, we
do not believe we can be held responsible for the outcome. We were as
shocked as anyone by what some of the trolls, racists and bigots wrote
on our 'Trolls, Racists and Bigots Free-for-all Forum'. However, our
revenue stream is based on stirring up division in society, and without
that controversy we can't make large profits."

The Link Institute went on to condemn Australia for failing to protect
companies profiting from free discussion of ideas. Klerphell went on to say:

	"What next, are cinemas to discourage people from shouting 'Fire!' in a 
crowded room? Are we not to allow radio personalities to instigate race 
riots? Are we to ban selling guns to children? What sort of nanny state 
are we heading towards?"

ENDS

;-)


-- 
Tom Worthington, MEd FHEA FACS CP http://www.tomw.net.au +61(0)419496150
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Honorary Lecturer, Computer Science, Australian National University
https://cecs.anu.edu.au/research/profile/tom-worthington