Online reputation has become a key influencer in determining whether a company’s stock will be purchased, a product will be bought or an individual is offered a job.
Unfortunately, that is true regardless of whether online information is erroneous, derogatory or years out of date.
Not only is the law governing online content outdated. It has resulted in no limits or boundaries to what is said online, a fact that damages untold number of people. A recent ruling in a New York City court of appeals illustrates this reality.
The court dismissed a businessman for filing a suit against a competitor for consistently posting “false and defamatory statements of fact” online that were clearly intended to injure the claimant’s reputation.
The judge noted that the comments about the claimant were “unquestionably offensive and obnoxious,” but held that the defendants were protected under the Communications Decency Act, which shields Web site operators from liability when they publish and edit material that they did not create.
In plain English: nothing could stop the poster from continuing to publish libel that, were it in print, would probably make him the subject of a successful lawsuit.
Trust is one of four pillars that create reputation. But situations like the one above influence reputations in a way that is unfair (and should not be legal). That is why establishing and maintaining a strong online reputation is an increasing social and professional asset for individuals and businesses alike. It is also why an update of internet laws is far overdue.
Last week I was on vacation, reading a mystery thriller at the beach. A few pages into it, I noticed the word “reputation.” Turned out that reputation was at the heart of the book. I’ve been thinking about it ever since.
