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Review 8/23/2010
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Topix Llc operates the online news service, Topix.com.
A WARNING TO PARENTS: Keep your children and teens away from this site!
The Topix.com news forums are un-moderated and infected with internet trolls. This site has a notorious reputation for NOT enforcing it's own Terms of Service against posting content that is:
". . . unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, torturous, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, libelous, invasive of another's privacy, hateful, or racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable."
In early August of 2010, Topix.com entered into a settlement agreement with the Attorney Generals of the following states and territories to address consumer protection concerns:
Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.
In accordance with this settlement, Topix.com has agreed to handle all complaints free of charge rather than charge customers a $19.99 fee to "expedite review of abusive or inappropriate posts." Topix.com has also agreed "to review and remove inappropriate posts within three working days rather than its previous policy of seven to 14 days." Topix.com has since removed its ineffective "flagging" function to report abusive posts.
It has been my experience that Topix.com is still not fully complying with the terms of this settlement but continues to allow offensive, abusive, libelous and obscene postings to remain on it's website. Since this settlement was agreed upon, I have filed numerous complaints against habitual offenders at Topix.com who post obscene, libelous, threatening and expletive filled posts. So far, none of these posts have been removed nor does it appear that the offenders have been contacted by Topix.com for violating the Terms of Service.
Instead of getting better, the customer service appears to have gotten worst.
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