Court Orders Google To Pay $515,000 For Defamatory YouTube Videos
TECHDIGEST – An Australian court has ordered Google to pay a former lawmaker, John Barilo $515,000 for putting out a video that drove the politician out of politics.
Describing the video as relentless, racist, abusive and defamatory, the court found that the tech company intentionally made money by not removing the two videos attacking the then-deputy premier of New South Wales.
The video was posted by Jordan Shanks and has since gathered nearly 800,000 views since it was first posted in 2020.
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While Google denied the videos carried defamatory imputations, it said that the YouTuber who had uploaded the video has the right to an honestly held opinion adding that he should be protected by the right to criticize a politician.
Meanwhile, the courts point out that Shank repeatedly brands the lawmaker corrupt without citing credible evidence as well as attacking his Italian heritage.
Notably, Shanks was a co-defendant until a settlement with Barilaro last year which involved the YouTuber editing the videos and paying the former politician A$100,000.
Source: Nairametric
