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By "Thiel's attack on Gawker", you mean "Gawker's consequences for publishing revenge porn" [1]. If Gawker had published Hogan's sex videos a few years later after revenge porn laws were passed, they wouldn't just have been sued they would have been the perpetrators of a crime.

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bollea_v._Gawker

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This really doesn’t change anything about the statement. Peter Thiel had nothing to do with the incident, and utilized it to get them shutdown via the courts. Whether or not it was legal at the time is not relevant to Thiels actions, which were not born from a sense of justice but from a desire for vindication.

I don't think vindication is the word you were looking for.

You’re right I should have said “vengeance” but it was early I guess, that’s my excuse anyway

yeah, I think it makes for a pretty interesting and grey area. Presumably it is in the interest of society to enforce the laws we have on the books, or we wouldn't have them. Presumably we would want justice for Hogan.

Im not sure it needs an analogy, but It seems a bit like reporting your neighbor for pouring oil down the storm drain after they piss you off.

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