Toronto libel case creates fear for freedom on the Internet

A libel suit initiated in Toronto by a former United Nations official against the Washington Post has a coalition of leading media organizations worried about freedom of information on the Internet.

Lawyers for the Washington Post argue the matter should not be allowed to proceed because the plaintiff did not live in Ontario when the stories were published and the reporters were based in the U.S., Kenya and Ivory Coast.

The group of concerned news outlets including CNN, the New York Times and the Globe and Mail is trying to have the case dismissed arguing that if it were allowed to proceed in Ontario, any news organization could be sued anywhere over material posted on its website.

At worst, some fear the repercussions from the case could force them to block access to their websites and electronic databases from some countries