David Canton comments on court rulings in Canada concerning unmasking anonymous posters or bloggers. He writes, in part:
In Canada, there have been numerous instances where courts have required Internet service providers to release the identity of an individual if evidence can be produced that the accused has committed illegal or actionable behaviour.
For example, in the Ontario case of Irwin Toy v. Doe in 2000, the court recognized some protection of online anonymity, finding the release of identity “should not be automatic upon the issuance of the statement of claim.”
The court noted both safety and public policy grounds for protecting the privacy of Internet users. In this case, the plaintiff was able to show grounds for a defamation case and the request was granted.
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