Michael Geist

My weekly technology law column (Toronto Star version, homepage version) discusses the implications of an Internet that never forgets.  I note that the most significant Internet effect during the current campaign has not been any particular online video, website or Facebook group.  Instead, it has been the resignation of eight local candidates based on embarrassing or controversial information unearthed online. Many observers have blamed the revelations on inadequate vetting processes, yet the reality is that these incidents shine the spotlight on an important but rarely discussed aspect of the Internet. Old blog postings, chat room discussions, or difficult-to-explain videos are captured by search engine databases and lie dormant until an intrepid searcher comes across it.  In other words, the Internet never forgets.

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