Blogger Bullying Draws a Website Warning

Has Nick Denton gone too far? The new-media minimogul is notorious for poking New York media types in the eye (including Condé Nast Portfolio, Portfolio.com, and this writer).

But now he is accused of ambushing a publisher's daughter by using her Facebook entry in an unflattering and unwarranted item on his media-industry blogsite, Gawker.

In the process, he has violated Facebook's terms of use, Portfolio.com has learned, and the social network's honchos are not amused.

In a Gawker entry yesterday, Denton posted screenshots from the Facebook page of American Law Media founder Steven Brill's daughter, along with a selection of her status updates and other content from her profile. Denton added unflattering comments about the 25-year-old Brill's weight.

Facebook has opened an investigation into Denton's "repurposing" of Brill's Facebook profile and will be sending the blog boss a warning letter today threatening to deactivate his own Facebook account if he violates the company's policies again.

Facebook's Terms of Use make it clear that, "Except for your own User Content, you may not upload or republish Site Content on any Internet, Intranet or Extranet site or incorporate the information in any other database or compilation, and any other use of the Site Content is strictly prohibited."

Gawker has gotten noticeably more combative lately, as readership has flagged and staffers have fled.

What did Emily Brill do to deserve having her Facebook information trotted out on Gawker? Nothing, other than be born to a well-known, wealthy man. She herself is not a public figure, nor is there any discernible news value in posting her Facebook profile information.

UPDATE: Denton did not respond to several instant-message requests for comment on the matter.

by Sam Gustin