“Kiss and Tell” Just Might Cost You a Fortune

Is it a good idea to spill ALL the beans in your blog? Will the words you publish on your personal Internet Blog come back and haunt you? More to the point, will you be sued for libel for what you publish in your Internet Blog?

Perhaps. Read on.

Sex, Bloggers & Privacy: Let The Lawsuits Begin

By Melissa Lafsky

Posted Thursday December 28, 2006 at 10:15 AM

It all started back in 2004 when Robert Steinbuch, former legal counsel for now-displaced Republican senator Mike DeWine, started an affair with a young woman in his office. The woman, of course, was intern-cum-celebrity blogger Jessica Cutler, who had been detailing their sexual encounters, including tidbits like Steinbuch's spanking habits and dislike of condoms, in her now-infamous (and defunct) blog, Washingtonienne. Wonkette made Cutler famous, she lost her job, and Steinbuch, who was never revealed by name in Cutler's writings, left D.C. in disgrace and eventually sued to the tune of $20 million. Now, as the Guardian (via the AP) reports, both sides are gearing up for a precedent-setting trial that could affect every blogger who's ever mentioned that clingy ex-boyfriend or flirtatious co-worker on a MySpace or Blogspot page.

Happy New Year.