Craigslist Sued By Those Who Misunderstand Internet Law
from the platform,-not-publisher dept
How many of these types of lawsuits are we going to have before people realize that service/platform providers are not responsible for the content that people put into their service? This has been codified into law for ISPs and others, and yet the lawyers keep on suing. The latest is that Craigslist is being sued for discriminatory housing ads on its site. Craigslist isn't publishing the ads -- they're just the platform for individuals to publish their own ads. If the fair housing group wanted to target those responsible, it should sue the people who actually posted the ads, not Craigslist.![Hide This Hide this](https://ii.techdirt.com/s/t/i/topclose.png)
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Don't hate the messenger...
No, what would happen is that some black guy sees the ad, goes to inquire about the housing and then gets rejected without being told a reason.
All we've done is wasted this preson's time just because racism hurts our sensitive wittle eyes.
Just get over it. Unless these prejudice people are operating an actual business, their beliefs are thier own problem, but if it is a business then sue the fucking business!
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Re: Don't hate the messenger...
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Re: Don't hate the messenger...
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welll....
calls to action for illegal activity is a crime, but the individual who makes the call is responsible. The forum administrator could very well be held responsible for failing to Try to stop the crime. 1/640,000. i'd call that trying.
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Re: welll....
Look up a few things before you make such statements. If you post kiddie porn or a request for such on your website, regardless of whether its your add or not, you posting it in public forum makes you liable. If there wasnt an issue, the casre would have been dismissed already.
Thank goodness this country wasnt created by such people.
PS - by the way, the KKK is classified as a TERRORIST ORGANIZATION by several federal government organizations, same as the aryan nations. Its not illegal to be one of them, but it is condition to strict scrutiny of its members actions.
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Re: Don't hate the messenger...
Thats what the lawsuit is there t determine. Newspapers who post illegal adds are held to some degree of responsibility, ALONG WITH the poster. The add poster has a responsibility not to post illegal adds
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Re: Don't hate the messenger...
Thats what the lawsuit is there t determine. Newspapers who post illegal adds are held to some degree of responsibility, ALONG WITH the poster. The add poster has a responsibility not to post illegal adds
It's different with newspapers who first approve the ads. The law has been clear in the past that an open forum where people can post whatever they want, the responsibility for content is with whoever posted the content -- not the forum provider.
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Re: Don't hate the messenger...
with newspaper ads, its different, because every ad is proofread and approved before posting. while everyone wants to compare craigslist to newspapers as if its a 1-to-1 correspondence is making a mistake. they are inherently different in how they work. craigslist cannot be held to the same standards as a newspaper.
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Re: Don't hate the messenger...
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Re: Don't hate the messenger...
Moreover, just b/ many people are racist does not make it right. The face that many people smoke crack, does not make it right.
I work with some intellignet people,and it never ceases to amaze me how many people are "prejudice" against other races/ethnicities.
I was in the steam room with my boss the other day and she said, "I hate Jews". ?What? I said and she repeated the statement. I thought I was going to vomit. I was stunned. Now, this person is a card-carrying memeber of MENSA. Why she felt comfortable enough around me to say this, well I still baffled, since I am obviously Black.
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Re: Don't hate the messenger...
"was in the steam room with my boss the other day..."
Now, while not so much so with my current supervisor (actually not at all) that would be a cool thing to be able to say (provided you weren't just there to pour water on the rocks.
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Offline
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Re: Offline
So I am really getting a kick out of most of these replies.
Some of you guys are very good at making it sound like you know what you are talking about.
But trust me.... You don't.
I think you just want to make yourself sound smart, when in reality you dont know what you are talking about.
This is how bad info gets passed around.
If you dont know about the topic....Dont make yourself sound like you do.
Cuz some Techdirt readers believe anything they hear.
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Re: Conspiracy Theory
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Re: Conspiracy Theory
So it's a bunch of rich white guys sending a bunch of first year associates to go do some free legal work so they can claim how they help the cummunity.
Grrrr.
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Re: Re: Offline
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Re: Re: Offline
...And now I've been sucked into being the guy explaining it in this thread.
-Lame
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Re: Offline
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Re: Cuz
Thank you for telling everyone that techdirt posters dont know what they are talking about. I am sure every single person, on every single article realizes that people do this. You are a genius. You are the true intellect of TechDirt. I wish everyone was like you.
Ok, I am sure by now that you get that just puting people down does absolutely nothing, and you contributed nothing to this article. I am pretty sure that the point of this site is to share opinions, and you have not realized that. Of course, most people will try to disguise their opinion as a fact, as is human tendency. Now, why do you even read the postings if you have a problem with them? Was the color comics not enough entertainment for you?
I would suggest that instead of telling everyone that they dont know anything, that you tell them the facts, and what is really happening. I am sure that it would be greatly appreciated.
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Re: Offline
Yo work for Craig's List like I do, jerk.
More like Schindler's List.
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Here is the post from Fark.
I'm married to a fourteen year old.
So I am really getting a kick out of most of these replies.
Some of you guys are very good at making it sound like you know what you are talking about.
But trust me.... You don't.
I think you just want to make yourself sound smart, when in reality you dont know what you are talking about.
This is how bad info gets passed around.
If you dont know about the topic....Dont make yourself sound like you do.
Cuz some Farkers believe anything they hear.
Note the same misspelling/typo on the word "don't". 3 times. And the use of "cuz" rather than "because". Not only a dork, but an illiterate dork as well.
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Re: Here is the post from Fark.
You Have Been Trolled. You Have Lost.
And here I thought techdirt readers were in the bigger sandbox.
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Re: Offline
Prove it.
Additionally, if you do work for Craigslist (which is doubtful, it's more likely you're a troll trying to stir the shitpot), are you legally authorized to speak for the company?
That's what I thought. Take a hike, bud.
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Re: Craig's List worker
If they _are_ a Craig's List employee, they probably won't be for long.
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Re: Offline
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Re: Offline
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Re: Offline
He isn't the same guy. There are thousands of people posting this cliche around the Net right now.
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Re: Re: Offline
I need help with something, perhaps you can assist.
Drop me a line to let me know you got this and we can proceed from there.
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It's the law
Any ruling that comes out of these lawsuits has the potential for being a landmark case.
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Re: It's the law
I'm afraid you're missing the point. Yes, the ads are illegal, but the question is *who's responsibility* is it. And, in that, the law is clear. It's the person who posted the ad, and NOT Craigslits -- yet Craigslist is being sued.
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Re: It's the law
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Re: It's the law
Actually, the law is not clear.. yet. Internet law is still in its infancy in most places. For example, in many states there still aren't even any consumer protection laws against misleading advertising on the internet, as there are for printed ads, yet the internet has already seen over 10 years of public use in this regard.
In a printed medium, it is normally the publisher or editor who controls the content. On Craigslist, it is the user. The law will probably move toward that end, eventually. In the meantime, pressure will mount on Craigslist to take responsibility until the law catches up.
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helps both sides.
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Cuz
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internet gangs.
craigslist has been accused of having approx 100 racially biased housing ad's in eight months, while there are 8M ad's per month running. I think ad hoc self policing is working pretty damned efficiently.
1/640,000th of craigslist ad's contain racial bias?
blood in the water for greedy newspaper accountants.
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stoopid hoomans
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Re: stoopid hoomans
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Re: stoopid hoomans
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Hmmm
I'm certainly against discrimination but the newspaper or websites should not be the ones being sued. Discrimination is an opinion and it is ever so difficult to take action on an online source. Do you notice how much more political the internet is becoming?
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gawd
Don't you trolls have anything better to do than stand on your mountain top and yell over everyone else?
Give us a break.
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No Subject Given
This is america, we dont make up the law as we go, we abide by it. Stick to your personal opinions and dont make liars of yourselves by proporting your opinions as set law.
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Re: No Subject Given
Er... no. The courts have been pretty consistent in saying that, in an open forum, the posted content is the responsibility of the posting parties, and not the forum owner. This is also codified into the DMCA in order to protect ISPs from being held liable for things their users do.
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Re: No Subject Given
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Re: No Subject Given
The point is that this is a free forum. Emphasis on the word free in the sense of money. Craigslist doesn't charge to put your ad up on the site while newspapers/magazines actually do thereby they are indeed more responsible for their content than a website.
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the crap above is EXACTLY why I left Slashdot.
Fark makes you smarter.
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I work for...
So I am really getting a kick out of most of these replies.
Some of you guys are very good at making it sound like you know what you are talking about.
But trust me.... You don't.
I think you just want to make yourself sound smart, when in reality you dont know what you are talking about.
This is how bad info gets passed around.
If you dont know about the topic....Dont make yourself sound like you do.
Cuz some Techdirt readers believe anything they hear
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
So I am really getting a kick out of most of these replies.
Some of you guys are very good at making it sound like you know what you are talking about.
But trust me.... You don't.
I think you just want to make yourself sound smart, when in reality you dont know what you are talking about.
This is how bad info gets passed around.
If you dont know about the topic....Dont make yourself sound like you do.
Cuz some Techdirt readers believe anything they hear
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Craigslist andsuits against craigslist
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Re: Craigslist andsuits against craigslist
Oh and to answer the first question . . . people sue entities like CL for cases they know they can't win for instant publicity. File lawsuit and just like real magic, you're Big News associated with the headline "Craigslist Sued" He doesn't care that he's going to lose, losing won't hurt his rep in this rare occasion. It's the same reason reporters pretend to be impartial, so people will watch them on the news too. Sometimes you find yourself caught up "in" the movie . . take a seat outside the tv/box . . it's a larger perspective from wich to be a critic ;)
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fake craigslist ads
last free late model car had over 550 people respond and the traffic jam was so great it was on the local tv news
lots of fun to be had for all
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Discriminatory ads on craigslist welcome by craigs
Is this blatant discrimination or what? Craigslist was contacted, clearly got the message, and looked away.
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Craigslist harrasess an elderly lady with cancer.
They are extremely rude. My mother who has cancer tried to post a support page for peple to contact her and they emailed her 13 emails with abusive and harassing threats.
What is wrong with craigslist. Wy do people not stop this horrible platform?
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F..CK CRAIGSLIST AND HIS EMPLOYERS
#2 People got Killed over car sale tru craigslsit
#3 People loosing homes because craigslsit hosting Scam ads
SHOT DOWN CRAIGSLIST !!!!!!!!
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Internet Lawyer
First, I should mention a couple of things.. I didn't read all of this thread, so I'm not sure if this has already been said. Second, I am from a different jurisdiction. A different country even (Canada), but a lot of the same rules apply.
Substitutional service is given in situations where the person being served is missing, evading service, or whose location isn't known to anybody.
If you say they served you personally, that should be the end of it. The case begins, and they don't get to win by default anymore (default judgment).
But then you say they served you substitutionally via a friend? So what you need to do is draw up an affidavit for your friend to swear saying that your friend was never served and is not aware of any documents in his possession that were meant for you.
That'll be a good start.
Although this will probably get buried in the bottom somewhere.
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fraud on craigslist by craigslist employees
can cl be sued if they allow there employees to post the scam ads and theses employees wont flag there own scam ads
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