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Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Are recent court rulings against former House member Katie Hill consistent with free-speech precedents?

By Jacob Alabab-Moser
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YES

Recent rulings by a Los Angeles County judge against former Congresswoman Katie Hill cited various precedents for free speech protections in denying her claims arising from the publication of her nude photos that were published without her consent.

Hill sued Britain’s Daily Mail and Red State, a conservative political blog, arguing that they violated California’s revenge-porn law by publishing the photographs. The court ruled in favor of the publishers, finding that her conduct in office was a subject of public interest and that her suits violated a state law banning actions infringing free speech known as an anti-SLAPP law (for “strategic lawsuits against public participation”).

The ruling cited multiple prior decisions which relied on the protections afforded media by the anti-SLAPP law.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Los Angeles County Superior Court Katie Hill lawsuit ruling (page 6)
Law & Crime Court rules Daily Mail’s publication of Katie Hill’s nudes is protected speech under the First Amendment
Courthouse News Media outlets dodge suit by ex-congresswoman over publication of nude photos
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press California Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation law
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Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.