UK Judge Awards 17,000L to Facebook Victim
August 4, 2008 by Colleen Coplick
Filed under Social Media
This may be the first – or at least one of the first – successful lawsuits that centres on a fake Facebook profile.
A judge in the UK has awarded 17,000 pounds (approximately $35,000 USD) in damages for Libel after a former school friend put up a fake Facebook profile and claimed his former chum was on the prowl for same sex relationships, and the infamous “whatever I can get”. [source]
The man who put the profile up in the first place has held a grudge against his ‘victim’ since they had a falling out in 2000.
There’s been other news stories about the trouble that others can cause using social media, but this may be the first I’ve seen in which the claimant was successful in receiving damages.
Ooooh, I am really torn about this. Honestly, I have no idea what I think. Hmm…
@mrlady – I know, right? i’m not sure if’its a GOOD thing that the courts are starting to pay att’n to this kinda thing or not. maybe it’s also worrying because the myspace suicide thing in the us went basically unnoticed….