JuicyCampus Denies Legal Problems Were Cause of its Demise
The controversial gossip website JuicyCampus is no longer publishing, but its founder denies that legal problems were the cause.
JuicyCampus is known for anonymous posts on topics such as “biggest slut on campus” and “easiest freshman,” the Associated Press reports. Founder Matt Ivester says a decline in ad revenue forced the shutdown, according to AP and MSNBC.
“In these historically difficult economic times, online ad revenue has plummeted and venture capital funding has dissolved,” Ivester said in a statement.
One student publication, North by Northwestern, headlined the closing this way: “JuicyCampus closing: Gossip-hungry students sigh; brain cells rejoice.”
The New Jersey attorney general began investigating the site for possible consumer fraud violations last year after a rape victim was identified. The legal theory was that the website misled the public when it held itself out as barring abusive content and privacy violations.
Lawyers for JuicyCampus have said the 1996 Communications Decency Act protected them from liability for content created by third parties. Several other websites have cited the law, with mixed success in the courts, the ABA Journal reported in July.
