College gossip is nothing new. Thanks to some Web sites, however, it is now easier to spread gossip more than ever before. One such Web site is juicycampus.com, a site where students can post anonymous comments about their fellow students.
"It's an entertainment site," said Matt Ivester, CEO and founder of juicycampus.com, adding that the site started with seven schools and has grown to include about 60 colleges and universities across the nation. "We really just wanted to create a place where students could talk about the topics that interest them."
Judging from the content of the site, these interests range from social drama to personal issues. One feature of juicycampus.com is that all anonymously posted comments are displayed immediately and cannot be revoked or removed, Ivester said. The site operators are not responsible for the Web site's content and, as a result, the information is uncensored and unedited.
"As an interactive service provider, we can't be held responsible for the content of posts," Ivester said, adding that federal immunity protects providers from issues of liability. "We don't judge the validity of any given post."
This feature of the Web site has sparked a degree of controversy within university communities across the country, some of which feel that the Web site allows its participants to have too much liberty with the content of their posts. At Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, Calif., a student was arrested for using the Web site to post a threat that stated he was going to kill fellow students. In response, students have petitioned to have the site blocked from computers on the school network. Also in nearby Malibu, Calif., the student council at Pepperdine University voted 23-5 asking for a similar ban of the Web site.
Getting juicy with the law
The federal immunity that shields Web site providers such as juicycampus.com is Section 230 Protection. According to Robert O'Neil, director of The Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression, this law "protects the operator of the site from liability of anything posted on the site."
This means that the operators of juicycampus.com cannot legally be held responsible for the information contained on their site, O'Neil said.
"Using the site is profoundly different from posting material from any other medium," he said, adding that Section 230 serves as a total exemption for sites like juicycampus.com. "It is not only a limitation on liability ... this is a flat-out immunity."
Juicycampus.com is what is known as a Web 2.0, or a user generated site, Ivester said. This technical identification is what allows such sites to receive protection under Section 230.
"We like to call ourselves a gossip 2.0 site," Ivester said.
The only possible legal recourse for students targeted by these sites would be to force the operator of the Web site to disclose the identity of the person who posted the offensive comment, O'Neil said. In legal terms, O'Neil explained, this is commonly known as "damasking" contact information.
Though this is a possible legal option, O'Neil said some courts might be unwilling to permit the release of previously anonymous contact information. Additionally, such information might not even be available to the Web site operators.
"It would be a long shot at best," O'Neil said, adding that the only exception to this policy is in an emergency situation when a posted comment on a Web site might offer a threat or put other users in danger.
If a threat is posted by an anonymous individual, O'Neil said, the contact information for that person is regularly turned over to the local police without consulting the courts because it is time-sensitive material.
In response to complaints issued concerning the Web site's content, Ivester said operators were not planning to remove anything from the site unless they were forced to do so.
"I don't think that censoring speech is the right answer," he said, adding that new users to the site should judge the content for themselves. "I encourage them to check it out and form their own opinion."
New gossip on Grounds
A new student-produced gossip Web site, which some say is similar in nature to juicycampus.com, was introduced to the University earlier this year. According to the Web site, streakthelawn.com is specific to only the University community, whereas juicycampus.com is designed to be a national site.
"Streak The Lawn's focus is on going out, socializing and good times at U.Va.," reads a Feb. 19 post titled "This is not Juicy" from the site. "We are not about posting a nasty rumor about your hallmate because she stole your boyfriend."
The site hit the Web about a month ago with its first post Jan. 27. The Web site was started by several University students, according to the site's description, although the identities and exact number of students involved are unknown. The site's owners declined to identify themselves, wishing to preserve their anonymity from the press.
Any University student can create an account and post on the site. Unlike juicycampus.com, however, all posts must be approved by an editor before they are posted, according to the site. In addition, all identifying information -- such as names, faces and Greek symbols -- appear to be removed from any posts and pictures that are posted on streakthelawn.com. In contrast, posts made on juicycampus.com are uncensored.
"We don't want to get anyone in trouble," the Feb. 19 streakthelawn.com post reads. "juicycampus uses anonymity to allow hate speech while providing a layer of protection for the author. This is not Streak The Lawn."
Worth the words?
Though these sites might offer entertainment for some students, it has been argued that they can be a nightmare for others. Due to the irrevocable nature of the anonymous posts, some feel juicycampus.com has had more of a negative impact on their university communities.
The University was recently added to a list of colleges featured on juicycampus.com, Ivester said. While the site seems to have not sparked much response from the University community, Pat Lampkin, vice president for student affairs, voiced her concerns about the potential for negative effects.
Material contained on these sites can be damaging for individuals, according to Lampkin. She said once information is posted on the Web site, it is hard for that information to be removed. When students post comments on these sites, Lampkin said, they often forget the number of people who can access it and the context in which it is read. What some students may find humorous, Lampkin said, might not be so funny out of context.
The issue with sites like these is that posts are anonymous, according to Lampkin, and in this setting, she said it is not possible for students to face each other. Instead, by posting anonymously, she added that students are not forced to take ownership for their words. This is something which she argues is not true to the real world.
"I'm all for free speech and opinion, but hatred is not acceptable," Lampkin said.
She advised that when using online gossip sites, it is important for students to realize the effect they have on other people.
"Individuals should understand that they're University students and they impact the University community," Lampkin said. "They should think beyond themselves"
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