Another case to watch is one emerging from (Turin) Italy that involves four Google executives who are charged with defamation and violating the privacy of an autistic youth by allowing a (2006) video of the child being abused to be posted on YouTube. This case is being closely watched by the public relations community as it has far-reaching implications for sharing video and other content on the Internet.
The defendants are: chief legal officer David Drummond, former chief financial officer George Reyes, senior product marketing manager Arvind Desikan and global privacy counsel Peter Fleischer. All have denied any personal or professional wrongdoing. When the video sparked outrage, Google removed it. The company cooperated with Italian authorities and police found the youths, who were sentenced to community service.
The issue is: Who polices peer-to-peer video sites? Some rely on the users to flag inappropriate content. But once the video is out there, what is the responsibility of the company? What responsibility does the user have to avoid posting clearly offensive junk? Stay tuned to YouTube for its conclusion.
