Thursday, July 10, 2008

You Tube: Web 2.0, Legal, and Human Responsibility


Readers may remember the tragic death of the former MP Fiona Jones. Her former colleague and friend Helen Clark certainly does, contributing a Comment is Free piece on the matter. Helen herself was beaten in the 2005 general election where she had served for eight years as member for Peterborough.

Will Parbury has this linking to a YouTube vid, featuring Helen Clark, that has now been taken down. Rupa Huq comments here. And Peterborough Today tells us that the former MP is ready to take legal action and reminds us all that bloggers and video hosts are eligible as defendants in defamation cases.

Considering the ongoing Max Mosley case I might also add privacy cases.

I hope that Will and Rupa will reconsider their posts and that they and their friends and family are never subject to (a) sneak videoing, (b) mental health issues, (c) addiction, (d) almost unbearable disappointment, (e) embarrassing drunkeness, (f) getting grumpy when not getting served when thirsty.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

(a) sneak videoing, (b) mental health issues, (c) addiction, (d) almost unbearable disappointment, (e) embarrassing drunkeness, (f) getting grumpy when not getting served when thirsty.

Why is that all of the above for you then LOL.

Anonymous said...

I feel sorry for her.
The party elite should stamp out bullying in the party. But local seats ,ight claim that is centralisation.
Maybe their should be a new law
against video taping people to humiliate them. It could help stamp out happy slapping.
I do not see why Max Moseley is a privacy case it serves him right he got found out.

Chris Paul said...

Ho ho ho anon.

DES: Much of the bullying is FROM the centre in terms of imposing or at least jet propelling candidates onto local parties, then e.g. leaning heavily on individuals in the PLP to conform or face de-selection battles.

There is the video taping itself. Which might in this case be a way for the firm to get a live record of an incident. And then there is the publication of such a video.

That does not seem right in this case. I have absolutely no sympathy with Mosley in many ways but the arguments are finely balanced on the privacy question nonetheless.

NOTW make it so by relying on the Nazi-ness of the activity. Unless that is they have other layers of arguments in their case but the Nazi question is getting reported.

Anonymous said...

Great care needs to be taken to distinguish between what is fair comment - and what is defamatory or an invasion of privacy (to the extent there is any such legal right in England & Wales).

Many bloggers do cross the line - but then that old Conservative Wellington had a good answer to threatened libel; 'Publish and be damned'.

Chris Paul said...

Nonetheless it is surprising to see political bloggers publishing links to such a video. The woman was clearly struggling over these events and I can't see how it does anyone any good to make a laughing stock of her. If this is after she lost her seat she is a private citizen and should be left in peace. IMO.

Wellington was certainly a better soldier than he was a statesman.

janestheone said...

Yes. I thought Paul Linford was better than that, buthe is not.

Chris Paul said...

Didn't know that Paul had jumped on this bandwagon too.

Anonymous said...

Like JANE GRIFFITHS is in a position to lecture the rest of us on how to behave online?

What a joke.

Chris Paul said...

Mmmm anon 14:47: I don't think Jane Griffiths (an ex-Labour MP and friend and contemporary of both Fiona Jones and Helen Clark) has posted any shabby 'phone vids of fellow human beings struggling so much with disappointment and alcohol. This has been a disheartening episode.

Let's leave Jane Griffiths aside Adele, sorry I mean Anon, you speak so much like Addle no offence, do you approve of the posting of the video or not?

I even let Hennigan off the hook when he's imploding. I'm surprised at Linford, Parbury and Huq in this matter of an ex-MP in private.