An Australian federal court has ordered the American internet company Google to pay damages of more than €466,000 to a politician who had been defamed by videos on the online platform YouTube.
The judge found a comedian’s videos traumatized former New South Wales Deputy Prime Minister John Barilaro, causing him to retire early. In 2020, comedian Jordan Shanks, under his stage name Friendlyjordies, published a series of videos on YouTube, a subsidiary of Google, in which he accused the then-deputy prime minister of corruption and made fun of him with an Italian accent.
Politician calls videos racist
Barilaro called the videos racist in court and said he was traumatized by them to this day. In December 2020, Barilaro’s lawyers asked Google to remove the offending videos. At the end of 2021, Barilaro finally reached an agreement with the comedian. He apologized and agreed to edit the videos. They have now been viewed more than a million times on YouTube.
Judge Steven Rares has ruled that the American group is liable for the damage caused to Barilo since December 2020. In addition, the company has “earned revenue” from the videos.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
