In what could be a turning point in social media platform usage guidelines, the highest Australian court has said that derogatory comments on social media pages of media outlets are their responsibility. This could pave the way for similar decisions in other countries.
Australia’s Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that media outlets are “publishers” of allegedly defamatory comments posted by third parties on their official Facebook pages. The High Court rejected an argument by some of Australia’s largest media organizations – Fairfax Media Publications, Nationwide News and the Australian News Channel – that for people to be publishers, they must be aware of abusive material and express it. Must have intention.
The court found in a 5-2 majority decision that by facilitating and encouraging the comments, the companies had participated in their communications. The decision opens the media organizations to trial for defamation by former juvenile inmate Dylan Woller.
Voller wants to sue the television broadcaster and newspaper publishers over comments on the Facebook pages of The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, Centralian Advocate, Sky News Australia and The Bolt Report.
His defamation case, launched in the Supreme Court of the state of New South Wales in 2017, was put on hold while the separate question was whether media companies were liable for Facebook users’ comments. The companies posted material on their pages about news stories that mentioned Voller’s time in a Northern Territory juvenile detention center. Facebook users responded by posting comments that Voller’s allegations were defamatory.
News Corp Australia, which owns two broadcast programs and two of the three newspapers targeted in the defamation case, called for the law to be changed.
Michael Miller, executive chairman of News Corp Australia, said in a statement: “This decision was important to those who maintain a public social media page that may be held liable for comments posted by others on that page, Even if they were unaware of those comments.”
“This highlights the need for urgent legislative reform and I call on the Attorney General of Australia to address this discrepancy and bring Australian law in line with comparable Western democracies,” Miller said.
Nine, the new owner of the Sydney Morning Herald, said it hoped the current review of defamation laws by Australian state and territorial governments would take the ruling and its consequences into account for publishers. “We are clearly disappointed with the outcome of that decision, as it will have implications for what we may post on social media in the future,” a Nine statement said.
“We also note the positive steps the likes of Facebook have taken since the launch of the Voller case, which now allows publishers to turn off comments on stories,” Nine said.
Facebook Did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Voller’s lawyers welcomed the decision for its wide-ranging implications for publishers. “This is a historic step for Dylan in achieving justice and protecting individuals, particularly those in vulnerable positions, subject to constant social media mob attacks,” a statement from the lawyers said.
“This decision put the onus of where it should be; on media companies with enormous resources, to monitor public comments in situations where they know there is a strong possibility of defaming an individual,” the statement said. The statement said.
The decision of the High Court upholds the decisions of the two lower courts on the question of liability.
Courts have previously ruled that people can be held liable for continued publication of derogatory statements on platforms such as notice boards only after they become aware of the comments.
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