"Gawker could have told the story and described the video (as it did, in great detail, which you can still read, even though the video has been taken down due to the litigation) without actually publishing the video. “Of course, journalists can write that it was made but the video itself isn’t newsworthy. We don’t need to see the video. It’s a sacred invasion of privacy and humiliating and exposing,” says University of Maryland law professor Danielle Citron, author of the book Hate Crimes in Cyberspace. “It was a big mistake and [Gawker is] sticking by it because they made it.”
While privacy advocates may be rooting for Gawker to lose, few are rooting for Gawker to be sued out of existence. Citron called the potential $100 million loss “the craziest highball estimate.” “I doubt it would come close to that,” she said. The jury would decide how much the former wrestler’s exposure and humiliation are valued at. “Ideally, Hogan will win, but he’ll get $20,000,” says Citron."
- Date Published:06/16/2015
- Original Publication:Fusion