Internet service providers (ISPs) get some protection from defamation claims by s1 Defamation Act 1996. The intention was to give ISPs protection that was similar to the common law defence of ‘innocent dissemination’ given to newsagents and libraries who innocently publish defamatory material.
Most of the focus on ‘privacy’ has been on the litigation involving Max Mosley (and his sexual preferences). As everyone will know, Article 8, which guarantees the right to respect for private and family life, prevailed over Article 10, which protects the right to freedom of expression.
