We Need A New Test For Anonymous Internet Speech

The question of when the right to speak anonymously should give way to the right to preserve reputation recently made the news when actor James Woods, a caustic tweeter himself, sought an order requiring Twitter to disclose the identity of two anonymous Twitter users whom Woods sued after they tweeted he was a “cocaine addict” and “registered sex offender.” Whether Woods will be entitled to unmask his nemeses is yet to be definitively decided because the defendants have filed a special motion to strike Woods’ complaint pursuant to California’s anti-SLAPP statute, thus halting all discovery. Consequently, at least for the moment, the court denied Woods’ attempt to disclose the identity of the defendants.