Something that occurred to me

[oneiriad]

So, say, a person likes, for instance, to read-write smut of the non-con variety - perfectly nice person, wouldn't dream of harming a fly, let alone other people - but likes non-con fic. Then, said person's journal/group/whatever is deleted, on the grounds that having this interest (in fiction, not the real thing) can be seen as soliciting or encouraging the activity or something along those lines.

But isn't implying that the nice person we're talking about here would ever dream of doing such a thing in itself a form of the crime known as libel? Or am I just crazy and not completely up-to-date on details of the law...

(also random: I suppose we're lucky the US is no longer having the Prohibition, otherwise PotC fandom would be in serious trouble, considering all the rum...)

Comments

[hils.livejournal.com]

This is exactly the point, and why what LJ is doing is wrong

[oneiriad.livejournal.com]

Yes, very wrong. But everybody is talking about freedom of speech and ideals and LJ having the right to delete journals not obeying the TOS. Of course pedophiles are sick people, nobody is saying otherwise. But if LJ deletes a journal by claiming that it solicited or encouraged a crime, when in fact it does not, then surely that is libel, which is a crime, and something that all those nice American LJ users from the home country of lawsuits can actually sue LJ over? Or am I being crazy here? Is LJ not, by trying to cover their asses, leaving themselves wide open for a whole different set of lawsuits, once people notice it?

[hils.livejournal.com]

Almost certainly they are, which is probably why they're refusing to comment on what they've done

[drbillbongo.livejournal.com]

But isn't implying that the nice person we're talking about here would ever dream of doing such a thing in itself a form of the crime known as libel?
That totally escaped my notice until now. But it's true, isn't it? They're throwing all those suspended journals into a big pot and prevent everyone from finding out if they were predators, survivors or members of fandoms. I don't like the thought one bit.

[oneiriad.livejournal.com]

Not only do I not like the thought, I can't help but suspect that somewhere there is a libel lawyer who would start salivating at some of what is going on.

[drbillbongo.livejournal.com]

We can hope there is. That organization is taking advantage of Livejournal's very liberal policy and forcing them to overstep the line. My sense of justice objects strongly to this.