monkeymagick
[H]News
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2008
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Anonymity be damned. Glassdoor Inc. is battling the U.S. government in a dispute that will allow the courts to subpoena its anonymous online users. The website used as job recruitment tool allows members to post anonymously about businesses, most reviewers are employees who are either former or current workers of the companies.
Federal prosecutors originally requested the identity of more than a 100 users, but have since asked for eight to be identified. In accordance with the request, Glassdoor must reveal the IP, usernames, personal info and other identifying information of its users. The eight users may be witnesses to unlawful business practices as the government suggests it has no other way of identifying the employees.
Glassdoor is appealing the order as the company states the government is infringing on the users' First Amendment right, but the Judge notes that due to the website not having any political affiliation there is no violation of the First Amendment. As of now, Glassdoor has compromised by notifying the users in question and will only provide information from willing participants.
Glassdoor's underlying argument in the case rests on the idea that "its users have a First Amendment right to speak anonymously," the opinion said. The company is working with other organizations and businesses that are filing friend-of-the-court briefs in support of "First Amendment rights and protections as well as personal privacy," Brad Serwin, Glassdoor's general counsel, said in a June 16 blog post.
Federal prosecutors originally requested the identity of more than a 100 users, but have since asked for eight to be identified. In accordance with the request, Glassdoor must reveal the IP, usernames, personal info and other identifying information of its users. The eight users may be witnesses to unlawful business practices as the government suggests it has no other way of identifying the employees.
Glassdoor is appealing the order as the company states the government is infringing on the users' First Amendment right, but the Judge notes that due to the website not having any political affiliation there is no violation of the First Amendment. As of now, Glassdoor has compromised by notifying the users in question and will only provide information from willing participants.
Glassdoor's underlying argument in the case rests on the idea that "its users have a First Amendment right to speak anonymously," the opinion said. The company is working with other organizations and businesses that are filing friend-of-the-court briefs in support of "First Amendment rights and protections as well as personal privacy," Brad Serwin, Glassdoor's general counsel, said in a June 16 blog post.
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