New York state attempts to ban free speech on the Internet

A bill in New York state is seeking to ban free speech on the Internet unless you fully disclose your real identity, according to Wired.com.

The idea behind this bill is that you would not be able to legally post to a site based in New York, nor would you be able to post to other sites if you’re a resident of the state, without full disclosure of who you are.

It’s a bill that seeks to destroy any anonymity. But it’s particularly insidious because here we have government trying to step in to restrict free speech. We’ve fought too many wars and lost too many brave men and women to just give up those Constitutional rights.

Meanwhile, The Orlando Sentinel  reports there’s a lawsuit by a plastic surgeon against an unnamed individual who had breast enhancement that allegedly went wrong. This individual posted about her experience on a doctor review site.

The lawyer went to the cable operator and hit them with a court order to identify the mailing and billing address of the person who posted the comments. Now they’re proceeding with what’s called a ‘slap lawsuit’ in the lingo of the trade to intimidate people from speaking out.

The doctor’s lawyer is saying that web comments made by the woman about alleged unevenness and extra scarring resulting from the surgery are defamatory because they’re not true.

Whether you’re picketing a business or posting a gripe online, you have to follow some basic guidelines anytime you air a grievance:

• Stick strictly to factual info.
• Never post, write or say anything about a person’s character.
• Don’t let emotion rule your outbursts. Stick to the facts.
• Anonymity is only there to a point, so don’t reach too far. Again, stick to the facts!