Hi, (not you?) | Member Center | Sign Out

Listen weekdays from 1-3pm ET
(No audio? Try our help)
Recent shows | More media
Listen Live: Mon-Fri 1-3pm ET
Posted: 1:28 p.m. Thursday, May 24, 2012
comment(5)
By Clark Howard
A bill in New York state is seeking to ban free speech on the Internet unless you fully disclose your real identity, according to Wired.com.
The idea behind this bill is that you would not be able to legally post to a site based in New York, nor would you be able to post to other sites if you're a resident of the state, without full disclosure of who you are.
It's a bill that seeks to destroy any anonymity. But it's particularly insidious because here we have government trying to step in to restrict free speech. We've fought too many wars and lost too many brave men and women to just give up those Constitutional rights.
Meanwhile, The Orlando Sentinel reports there's a lawsuit by a plastic surgeon against an unnamed individual who had breast enhancement that allegedly went wrong. This individual posted about her experience on a doctor review site.
The lawyer went to the cable operator and hit them with a court order to identify the mailing and billing address of the person who posted the comments. Now they're proceeding with what's called a 'slap lawsuit' in the lingo of the trade to intimidate people from speaking out.
The doctor's lawyer is saying that web comments made by the woman about alleged unevenness and extra scarring resulting from the surgery are defamatory because they're not true.
Whether you're picketing a business or posting a gripe online, you have to follow some basic guidelines anytime you air a grievance:
comment(5)
© 2013 Cox Media Group. By using this website,
you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices
.
Already have an account? Sign In
{* #registrationForm *} {* traditionalRegistration_displayName *} {* traditionalRegistration_emailAddress *} {* traditionalRegistration_password *} {* traditionalRegistration_passwordConfirm *}Already have an account? Sign In
{* #registrationFormBlank *} {* registration_firstName *} {* registration_lastName *} {* traditionalRegistration_displayName *} {* traditionalRegistration_emailAddressBlank *} {* registration_birthday *} {* registration_gender *} {* registration_postalZip *} {* traditionalRegistration_passwordBlank *} {* traditionalRegistration_passwordConfirmBlank *} {* agreeToTerms *}We have sent you a confirmation email. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account.
We look forward to seeing you frequently. Visit us and sign in to update your profile, receive the latest news and keep up to date with mobile alerts.
Don't worry, it happens. We'll send you a link to create a new password.
{* #forgotPasswordForm *} {* forgotPassword_emailAddress *}We have sent you an email with a link to change your password.
We've sent an email with instructions to create a new password. Your existing password has not been changed.
To sign in you must verify your email address. Fill out the form below and we'll send you an email to verify.
{* #resendVerificationForm *} {* resendVerification_emailAddress *}Check your email for a link to verify your email address.

You're Almost Done!
Select a display name and password
{* #socialRegistrationForm *} {* socialRegistration_displayName *} {* socialRegistration_emailAddress *} {* traditionalRegistration_password *} {* traditionalRegistration_passwordConfirm *}Tell us about yourself
{* registration_firstName *} {* registration_lastName *} {* registration_postalZip *} {* registration_birthday *} {* registration_gender *} {* agreeToTerms *}