Topic: Anonymous Comments

The European Court of Human Rights upheld a ruling in the case of Delfi AS v. Estonia, holding a news portal liable for defamatory anonymous comments posted by users. This landmark decision establishes that website operators in the EU can be held responsible for user-generated content even if they remove it upon request.

The Today Show discusses a Huffington Post writer who was "fat shamed" for her wedding photo, leading to a conversation about the emotional impact of anonymous online comments. The hosts link this narrative to broader efforts to restrict free speech and "clamp down" on the internet. They argue that while the network itself is unstoppable, protocols on top will increasingly be used to regulate "negativity."