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Article
Website Proprietorship and Online Harassment
Faculty Scholarship
  • Nancy Kim, California Western School of Law
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2009
Disciplines
Abstract

Although harassment and bullying have always existed, when such behavior is conducted online, the consequences can be uniquely devastating. The anonymity of harassers, the ease of widespread digital dissemination, and the inability to contain and/or eliminate online information can aggravate the nature of harassment on the Internet. Furthermore, section 230 of the Communications Decency Act provides Web site sponsors with immunity for content posted by others and no incentive to remove offending content.

Given the unique nature of online harassment, ex post punitive measures are inadequate to redress grievances. In this Article, I propose the imposition of proprietorship liability upon Web site sponsors who fail to adopt "reasonable measures" to prevent foreseeable harm, such as online harassment. I also introduce several proposals to deter online harassment that would qualify as reasonable measures. These proposals incorporate contractual and architectural restraints, limits on anonymity, and restrictions on posting certain types of digital images.

Citation Information
Nancy S. Kim, Website Proprietorship and Online Harassment, 2009 UTAH L. REV. 993 (2009).