Forrest’s Facebook fight dropped by Australian prosecutors

Submitted ⁨⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨Gorgritch_umie_killa@aussie.zone⁩ to ⁨australia@aussie.zone⁩

https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/forrest-s-fight-against-facebook-over-as-case-dropped-by-prosecutors-20240412-p5fje7.html

Man, first the Stokes Stoush, now the facebook right hook. Twiggys making enemies with all the big media companies.

I haven’t read why the public prosecutor isn’t pursuing this. I’m sure it’ll be some reasonable reason due to some legislation the prosecutors can’t get around. Or something to that effect.

But this case seems emblimatic of the corporate geared legislative structure the five-eyes countries citizens have had foisted upon them. Yet again an obviously in the wrong company is walking away laughing as their pockets jingle, while the damage caused by their products to third parties goes largely unrestrained. Do we really want to carry on down this path?

For context this morning i’ve also been listening to Ralph Nader, so thats where my minds at right now.

Link to the episode, if people want to listen: www.capitalisnt.com/…/ralph-naders-capitalism

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Comments

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theroff@aussie.zone ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Trying to talk to a human at the big tech companies is nigh impossible these days. It’s actually quite concerning how unaccountable they have become. If a billionaire can’t do it, what chance do us commoners have?

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- Gorgritch_umie_killa@aussie.zone ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Yeah true, i’m no IT guy, so in general i assumed it was always near impossible to talk with a human.
  
  I’d argue they’ve always operated with a lack of accountability. The key difference, like always in power relationships, the power differential now is far more noticeable than a decade ago.
  
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No1@aussie.zone ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Let’s say a picture of you or I was used for scam ads.

What do you reckon the chances would be of the cops or Commonwealth prosecutors ever giving a shit about it and even initially starting a case against a corporate giant like Meta?

Yet, they did it for Twiggy. Even though it was a waste of money and time.

Now, I guess,.he gets to use all that and start a private lawsuit. Which you or I could never afford…

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- Gorgritch_umie_killa@aussie.zone ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Yeah, totally agree the cops or prosecutors won’t do anything for joe blow in a situation like this. But thats why its so wrong and the rules of the game need to change.
  
  It doesn’t matter the wealth of the person bringing the case, they are the aggreived party, therefore he has a right, and in the end, if they make progress it sets precedent strengthening others claims.
  
  And also what has the public prosecutor done for Forrest withbthwir involvement? The article didn’t go into detail, it seems his lawyers triggered something that federals had to get involved in, but then at the first opportunity they’ve come back saying ‘yeah nah, we not gona take this further.’
  
  What am i missing here? I suppose the details of the Australian proceedings would shed more light.
  
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abhibeckert@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

claiming the trillion-dollar company had blatantly refused to address fraudulent content on its site

Probably dropped the suit because that’s obviously bullshit.

The fact is Facebook’s human review team that checks millions of posts every day and a large number of those are removed. You can certainly argue over wether or not they’re doing enough, but the idea that they “refuse to address fraudulent content” is honestly ridiculous.

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- Gorgritch_umie_killa@aussie.zone ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  I don’t know about it being ridiculous. At best, Meta can argue they are doing the bare minimum for the size and importance of the platform. And that I agree is because of these review teams and reporting processes.
  
  “The second issue is Forest is campaigning for law reforms around this issue.”
  
  So the legal action is part of a wider action. If theres a wrong done then, part of a wider program or not, Forest has every right to take action.
  
  The real issue I suspect is a commentary on the inaccessibility of the courts to the average person vis-a-vis someone like Forest. I agree, but silver lining. He can pay a legal team to research and deliver the points of the case to a degree that is out of reach for an average person. And, if successful, or if not but a point is partially agreed, this adds to the body of case law surrounding the subject that other lawyers can pick up and run with for their clients cases.
  
  Imagine a trickle-down theory, but it actually works (unlike others), the benefits accumulate over decades long periods. As i say silver lining only.
  
  “The courts want nothing to do with that. They interpret existing laws and have zero involvement in writing new ones.”
  
  You might be thinking of the French legal system which i believe is codified.
  
  Australia’s, like the UK’s, still has common law (read judge-made law). Where legislation is silent a judge may decide a case by using a number of tools available to them to interpret the law, like the Golden rule. They may also rely on Torts. And i’m sure theres plenty of other examples where judges may ‘make’ the law.
  
  You can argue that there is so much legislation now that common law is seldom going to be relied upon. This is due to case/common law becoming settled and eventually legislated. Legislation then over-rides common law, but the ability is still technically there.
  
  I didn’t look into the case much, but from the top of my head, an example might be that migration high court decision not long ago, which changed the law and caught the federal government by surprise.
  
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