Supreme Court of Canada Ruling on Facebook Anonymity is one for all to watch

Today, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that a young Nova Scotia girl can remain anonymous in her fight against cyber bullying.  The decision was made with the hope that she would not be victimized all over again for fighting back against bullies.

The girl has been struggling to find out who created a fake Facebook profile using her photo along with posting false 'scandalous' highly sexualized activity.  Facebook provided the IP address, but the internet service provider would not provide more details without a court order.  Well, they have it now. 

This is an extremely important case to watch as the legislative process has been slower to move on social media issues as outlined in Social Media and the Legal System - Another Story.  This is a victory for every person and/or business that has been harmed by the careless and ruthless nature of people hiding behind fake profiles. Until now, there have been no consequences.  Victims have been left powerless and perpetrators have had a false sense of security. 

This is a precedent setting case, so stay tuned for more commentary and detailed analysis as this story unfolds.