Fashion Nova, an online fashion retailer, agreed to pay $4.2 million as part of a consent decree with the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) in which it will be prohibited from suppressing customer reviews of its products. The FTC alleged in a complaint that Fashion Nova misrepresented that the product reviews on its website reflected the views of…

In 2013, California became one of the first states to outlaw revenge porn (also known as cyber exploitation or digital rape) in enacting Penal Code § 647(j)(4). Shortly thereafter, the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative published a study finding that: (i) 93% of victims suffered significant emotional distress as a result of their victimization; (ii) 82%…

In August 2020, Alexei Navalny, the jailed Russian opposition leader and anti-corruption activist whom the Wall Street Journal calls “the man Vladimir Putin fears most”, was medically evacuated to Berlin after being poisoned by a nerve agent that was linked to Russia’s Federal Security Service. He returned to Russia in January 2021 and was arrested…

Claiming there is “a dangerous movement by social media companies to silence conservative viewpoints and ideas,” Texas Governor Jim Abbott (R) signed H.B. 20 (An Act relating to censorship of or certain other interference with digital expression, including expression on social media platforms or through electronic mail messages). The Act is strictly an act of…

In December 2020, the Trump Federal Trade Commission filed an antitrust complaint (Case No. 1:20-cv-03590, D.D.C.) against Facebook which came [f]ollowing a lengthy investigation in cooperation with a coalition of attorneys general of 46 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam, the complaint alleges that Facebook has engaged in a systematic strategy—including its 2012 acquisition…

(Republished on ReviewInc blog) Health care providers, like any other business, must navigate the challenges presented by their online reputation in the form of healthcare reviews.  Reviews on sites like HealthGrades, RateMDs, Vitals, and Yelp can have a big impact on a provider’s bottom line, especially for smaller providers, as ninety percent (90%) of consumers use online reviews to evaluate providers….

On May 24, 2021, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 7072 (An act relating to social media platforms) under which (as described by Gov. DeSantis): Floridians treated unfairly by Big Tech platforms will have the right to sue companies that violate this law — and win monetary damages. This reform safeguards the rights of every…

In November 2018, Democrat Katie Hill won a Congressional seat representing a northern Los Angeles exurb that had been held by Republicans since 1993. Once in Washington, she was a rising star in the party and one of two freshman Representatives chosen for the Democratic Caucus. On October 18, 2019, RedState, a conservative political blog…

I recently participated in Jubilee Media’s Middle Ground segment entitled “Who is Censored More? Liberals vs Conservatives.” It was a fun experience and the debate was interesting, as we talked about content moderation, combating abuse, hate and disinformation online over 90-minutes. The thirty-minute segment was posted on Sunday and, unfortunately, much of what I had…