Test Questions

1. Does Twitter allow anonymous speech?
2. Do anonymous speech laws vary state-by-state?
3. Was Woods credibility actually hurt by “Abe List’s” posts?
4. How is defamation proved?
5. Does a website have the right to protect its anonymous users?
6. Was Woods case considered libel or slander? Why?
7. Is it possible to sue an anonymous user and win?
8. How does Woods’ case apply to everyday Tweets?
9. When suing an anonymous user, what must be first presented to the courts?
10. Can anonymous users be tracked down easily? What steps can they take to stay anonymous?

Answers:

1. Yes. They allow full privacy to their users as they see fit.
2. Yes. A decision in California will not be the same verdict as Arizona, or so on.
3. No it wasn’t. In fact, he may have even gained more work from this happening.
4. With intended malice, or proven damage to one’s livelihood.
5. Yes it does. A website can choose to co-operate with the courts or not when it comes to giving up the identity of a anonymous user.
6. Libel, because it was posted in print through Twitter’s website.
7. Yes. In fact, many cases have been won in regard to this case. It just depends on if damages can be proven or not.
8. As Twitter has millions of users, just about anyone could be sued for their comments in regards to celebrities, peers, or businesses.
9. The court will require substantial evidence first before deciding to subpoena any user in question.
10. No. An anonymous user can make a fake account with fake email addresses, names, locations, ages, and descriptions that make their hidden identity even more complicated to discover.