KERA featured a discussion with Gardere Partner Peter S. Vogel, chair of the Firm's Internet, eCommerce and Technology Industry Team, on the prevalence of creating fake online profiles to publicly post negative or positive comments. The discussion stemmed from Sunday's Dallas Morning News front-page story on the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System using fake online profiles to communicate with the Nasher Sculpture Center.
"Oh, I think it's unbelievably prevalent," Mr. Vogel said. "It's a reality of social media that I think people use these fake identities to improve a situation or make it worse." When asked about legal repercussions, Mr. Vogel added, "The initial reality of what goes on at the courthouse is a label that I like to call 'cyber-smear.' That is, if there's a grain of truth in whatever's being said, it becomes debatable as to whether or not that's libelous or slanderous."
The full article and radio interview can be accessed here.