Australian court makes Google pay $515,000 over defamatory YouTube videos

An Australian court on Monday ordered Google to pay a former politician 715,000 Australian dollars ($515,000) over two defamatory YouTube videos.

John Barilaro, the former New South Wales state deputy premier, had sued Google and comedian Jordan Shanks, also known as friendlyjordies, in the Federal Court over the videos.

Justice Steven Rares found Barilaro had been the subject of a relentless, racist, abusive and defamatory campaign conducted on YouTube, a platform owned by Google.

Barilaro told reporters outside the Sydney court that he felt vindicated by the judgment.

I am emotional today. To hear His Justice read out the reasoning and the evidence and the case itself again is a little bit traumatising, Barilaro said.