Watchdog Group Defends MySpace 'Spoofing'
The Electronic Frontier Foundation asked a judge in Illinois Wednesday to reject an attempt to identify an anonymous MySpace user who allegedly posted fake profiles of a government official because the request would violate both the First Amendment and federal statute.
In May, Cicero Town President Larry Dominick asked a Cook County Circuit Court to order the disclosure of the identities of the author of two MySpace "spoof" profiles that allegedly included defamatory comments and unnamed privacy violations. In its amicus brief, EFF argued the petition violates the First Amendment right to remain anonymous until a litigant can demonstrate a viable legal claim.
If Dominick's claims are genuine, he may be able to obtain the information that he seeks, EFF said in a press release, but until he meets his burden, the court should not grant his request. The First Amendment requires courts to guard against attempts to unmask critics who have simply made statements litigants don't like, especially when such requests are made by elected officials, the group said. Read more about the case here.
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