Not-So-Cheap Talk
The Internet is increasingly the first place people turn for information. Health-related Web sites, for example, are now the third most popular online destination. But what if information found on the Internet causes harm? Is someone held responsible? Not under current U.S. product liability laws. They don’t classify information as a "product." Some experts believe ...
The Internet is increasingly the first place people turn for information. Health-related Web sites, for example, are now the third most popular online destination. But what if information found on the Internet causes harm? Is someone held responsible?
The Internet is increasingly the first place people turn for information. Health-related Web sites, for example, are now the third most popular online destination. But what if information found on the Internet causes harm? Is someone held responsible?
Not under current U.S. product liability laws. They don’t classify information as a "product." Some experts believe that’s about to change. "Our society is totally dependent on information," says doctor turned author-filmmaker Michael Crichton. Soon, he predicts, "we’re going to have product liability for information."
Others agree with Crichton’s prediction. "The law is already having to adjust," says Harvard law professor Jonathan Zittrain. "In a world of bloggers… it’s much easier for unfiltered individual views, advice, and claims to find their way to millions of people. The only thing that hasn’t created serious legal whiplash yet is that individuals usually aren’t worth suing." But blogging and other Web sites offering advice are fast becoming big business — meaning Internet talk may not always be so cheap.
More from Foreign Policy

Saudi-Iranian Détente Is a Wake-Up Call for America
The peace plan is a big deal—and it’s no accident that China brokered it.

The U.S.-Israel Relationship No Longer Makes Sense
If Israel and its supporters want the country to continue receiving U.S. largesse, they will need to come up with a new narrative.

Putin Is Trapped in the Sunk-Cost Fallacy of War
Moscow is grasping for meaning in a meaningless invasion.

How China’s Saudi-Iran Deal Can Serve U.S. Interests
And why there’s less to Beijing’s diplomatic breakthrough than meets the eye.