May 27, 2005 | Funny Bits

Yahoo! sued over nude pics

A woman has sued Yahoo! on grounds the portal neglected to remove nude images of her that were posted by her ex-boyfriend - even after it promised to do so.

Cecilia Barnes, 48, sued Yahoo! for $3 million May 24 in Multnomah County (Oregon) Circuit Court.  While Internet portals, chat and personals services cannot be held liable for postings made by individual members, Barnes may have a case because Yahoo! promised her directly that the pictures and profiles would be removed.

According to the suit, Barnes' former boyfriend, Randolph Russell, started posting personal profiles of her with nude photos and her e-mail address and work telephone number. He also is alleged to have posed as her in Yahoo! chat rooms to lead men to the profiles. Strange men would then show up without warning at Barnes' workplace expecting a sexual liaison.

Barnes'  says she informed Yahoo! in writing about the unauthorized postings in January, February and March but received no response. However, after she went to the media with the story, Yahoo! communications director Mary Osako promised her that the offending pictures and profiles would be removed.

They weren't, so Barnes felt she had no choice but to sue.

• Woman sues Yahoo! over nude photos [Business Week]
• Yahoo! sued over nude photos [AVN Online]