Courts / Ireland / Report

Vinivia to get details about owners of allegedly defamatory X accounts

Summary

In a High Court order, X was directed to give live‑streaming service Vinivia AG and its executives Steffan Graff and Marcello Genovese details of the owners of four X accounts alleged to run a malicious smear campaign. The court found that the accounts had posted defamatory statements about the plaintiffs, including claims of fraud, financial misconduct, and criminal behaviour, and that the posts breached the plaintiffs' GDPR rights. The plaintiffs, represented by Peter Shanley BL, said the posts caused significant reputational damage and harmed the company's business prospects. They sought a Norwich Pharmacal Order to obtain the identities of the account holders. X's Ireland subsidiary, Twitter International Unlimited Company, agreed neither to object nor to consent to the disclosure orders, and the plaintiffs agreed to pay the respondent's legal costs. Mr Justice Mark Sanfey noted the speed of the proceedings.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Vinivia to get details about owners of allegedly defamatory X accounts. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

• 2024-07-12 Publication

Why: The plaintiffs claim that because of the posts, they have suffered "significant reputational damage". CNI source report

Places mentioned

Topics

Fraud Stage Hearing Or Decision

Read the original CNI report