AdultFriendFinder Cleared Over Third-Party Postings

SHREVEPORT, La. — Various Inc., parent company of the popular online adult dating site AdultFriendFinder.com, was cleared of all charges last week in a case that alleged Various was responsible for defamatory third-party postings on its site.

The case, brought about by Shelly Landry-Belle, reportedly stemmed from Belle’s discovery of pictures of herself on AdultFriendFinder.com. Belle believed her ex-boyfriend, Zach Wilhem, was responsible for the postings, which included requests for sexual relationships with both men and women.

Belle claimed she had received unwanted phone calls as a result of the postings and that extensive posts containing false and sexual material had been posted about her on numerous websites operated by Various.

Although unable to locate Wilhelm for the case, Belle had requested Various be held liable as the publisher of obscene material. According to court documents obtained by XBiz, Belle argued that Various “maintains editorial control and the right to edit or remove any postings made to its sites.”

Attorneys for Various countered that pursuant to the Communications Decency Act, “no provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.”

Judge Mark Hornsby agreed, ruling that all claims against Various be dismissed on the grounds that the company “simply provided the computer services that allegedly were used by Wilhelm to embarrass, harass and defame” Belle.

“This case benefits adult dotcom sites that allow for third-party posting or uploading of content,” Various attorney Ira Rothken told XBiz. “It creates additional CDA precedent that immunizes such sites from liability for defamatory postings by others even if the site programmatically controls the third-party creation process and has some involvement in promoting the alleged defamatory content.”

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Adult Networking Platform SpicyGigs.com Launches

SpicyGigs, a new adult industry networking platform, has officially launched.

Pineapple Support to Host 'Cream Pie Challenge' Fundraiser

Pineapple Support is hosting its Cream Pie Challenge through August to raise funds for mental health services for industry performers.

Kyrgyzstan President Signs Measure Outlawing Internet Porn

President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday signed into law legislation outlawing online adult content in the country.

NC Legislature Overrides Veto of Extreme Anti-Adult Industry Bill

The North Carolina state legislature on Tuesday voted to override Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of a bill imposing regulations that industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most creators and content.

Report: VPN Downloads Soar in UK Following Age Verification Deadline

Virtual private network apps, which can be used to circumvent geo-specific age verification requirements, are topping Apple App Store downloads in the U.K. in the wake of new Online Safety Act rules, the BBC is reporting.

Strike 3 Holdings Sues Meta for Pirating Vixen Media Group Content to Train AI

Vixen Media Group owner Strike 3 Holdings filed suit in federal court this week, accusing Facebook parent company Meta of copyright infringement and alleging that Meta has extensively pirated VMG content to train its artificial intelligence models.

Pineapple Support, Streamate to Host 'Navigating Grief and Loss' Support Group

Pineapple Support and Streamate are hosting a free online support group to help performers cope with grief and loss.

Friday is Final AV Compliance Deadline in UK

Friday, July 25 marks U.K. media regulator Ofcom’s deadline for user-to-user services such as tube, cam and fan sites to implement its requisite “highly effective age assurance” measures for preventing minors from viewing adult content.

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches for May, June

AEBN has released the top search terms for the months of May and June from its straight and gay theaters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Ofcom Releases Transparency Reporting Guidelines

Ofcom, the U.K. media regulator, has made public its official guidance detailing how online service providers — including adult sites — will be required to publish annual transparency reports on their efforts to protect children from online harms.

Show More