The vigilante group is denying responsibility, but the fact remains they've been contacting LJ since at least April demanding they delete pedophile comms. They pre-date FanLib, which went live in May.
My opinion? The timing was a coincidence.
My opinion? Six Apart looked into the legal risk (the vigilante group has very strong language) and decided that the interests list could be used to say LiveJournal was promoting these things, so they issued a blanket deletion of anyone with "incest" or "pedophile" listed in their interests.
My opinion? The vigilante group did not expect such a blanket action affecting rape and incest support comms and literary groups. Typical of vigilante groups, innocent people get hurt.
Livejournal says:
Dear LiveJournal user,
Material which can be interpreted as expressing interest in, soliciting, or encouraging illegal activity places LiveJournal at considerable legal risk. When journals that contain such material are reported to us, we must suspend them. Because LiveJournal's interests list serves as a search function, and because listing an interest enables other people also interested in a similar topic to gather and/or congregate, we have been advised that listing an interest in an illegal activity must be viewed as using LiveJournal to solicit that illegal activity. We recognize that many people list these types of interests for shock value, as a method of expressing opposition for these illegal activities, or to indicate fictional activity. Unfortunately, we have no discretion in these cases; if a journal profile is reported to us and contains interests that support illegal activity, we must suspend the journal. Journals, on the other hand, may express or imply interest in illegal activity or express or imply a desire to meet and/or interact with others with similar interests, but only if the journal clearly (1) is in opposition to or condemnation of the illegal activity, (2) does not encourage the illegal activity and (3) is not used in furtherance of any illegal activity. Regards, Cassie LiveJournal Abuse Team
no subject
My opinion? The timing was a coincidence.
My opinion? Six Apart looked into the legal risk (the vigilante group has very strong language) and decided that the interests list could be used to say LiveJournal was promoting these things, so they issued a blanket deletion of anyone with "incest" or "pedophile" listed in their interests.
My opinion? The vigilante group did not expect such a blanket action affecting rape and incest support comms and literary groups. Typical of vigilante groups, innocent people get hurt.
Livejournal says:
Dear LiveJournal user,
Material which can be interpreted as expressing interest in, soliciting, or encouraging illegal activity places LiveJournal at considerable legal risk. When journals that contain such material are reported to us, we must suspend them. Because LiveJournal's interests list serves as a search function, and because listing an interest enables other people also interested in a similar topic to gather and/or congregate, we have been advised that listing an interest in an illegal activity must be viewed as using LiveJournal to solicit that illegal activity. We recognize that many people list these types of interests for shock value, as a method of expressing opposition for these illegal activities, or to indicate fictional activity. Unfortunately, we have no discretion in these cases; if a journal profile is reported to us and contains interests that support illegal activity, we must suspend the journal. Journals, on the other hand, may express or imply interest in illegal activity or express or imply a desire to meet and/or interact with others with similar interests, but only if the journal clearly (1) is in opposition to or condemnation of the illegal activity, (2) does not encourage the illegal activity and (3) is not used in furtherance of any illegal activity. Regards, Cassie LiveJournal Abuse Team
Icarus