Juicy Campus

Juicy Campus (juicycampus.com) was a website designed for college students, in which users posted anonymous, uncensored gossip about classmates. On Juicy Campus, users could read all the posts at the site, and can also vote on which were the "juiciest." There were separate sections on the site for each of its 57 featured college campuses.

On February 4, 2009, Juicy Campus founder Matt Ivester announced on the site's official blog that it would be shutting down on February 5. Ivester cited the harsh economic climate and a lack of revenue.Official Juicy Campus Blog: A Juicy Shutdown (February 4, 2009)

The site described itself as promoting "online anonymous free speech on college campuses."

Proponents say that Juicy Campus's anonymity allowed for truly free speech; detractors argued that its anonymity fostered smear campaigns, threats, and racist and sexist remarks.

In February of 2009 Juicy Campus founder and CEO Matt Ivester announced that the site would be shutting down as a result of harsh economic times. Ivester noted on the site's official blog, "even with great traffic and strong user loyalty, a business can’t survive and grow without a steady stream of revenue to support it." In response to the controversy that has surrounded the site since its inception, Ivester commented, "While there are parts of JuicyCampus that none of us will miss – the mean-spirited posts and personal attacks – it has also been a place for the fun, lighthearted gossip of college life. I hope that is how it is remembered."Official Juicy Campus Blog: A Juicy Shutdown (February 4, 2009)

On May 16, 2008 the JuicyCampus.com web site was featured on the news magazine show 20/20. The mention caused the website to go off line due to heavy traffic volume. Before the airing Juicy Campus had this to say on their official blog:

"...we're getting so much traffic that the site can't handle it!!! That's right, it hasn't even aired yet, so just based on their lead-in pieces we're getting this much traffic. It's crazy! Sorry if you haven't been able to get on the site. Hang tight, and try again later. And of course, keep it juicy!" - Official Juicy Campus Blog

On March 18, 2008, the New Jersey Attorney General's office issued a subpoena of Juicy Campus's records. Attorney General Anne Milgram said that although the site claims to ban offensive material, it does not allow the subjects of its gossip to contest what is published there, and that the site may therefore be in violation of the Consumer Fraud Act. Milgram has also subpoenaed AdBrite, the site's advertising agency.

Juicy Campus has been the subject of controversy, including threats of violence by anonymous users. In early December 2007, Carlos Huerta, a senior at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, reportedly posted an anonymous message on the site, including the passage, "I am going to shoot and kill as many people as I can until which time I am incapacitated or killed by the police." Huerta, who claimed the message was a joke, was arrested on December 8 and released without charge.

In early March 2008, Colgate University junior George So allegedly posted a message, reading in part: "I wonder if I could shut down the school by saying I'm going to shoot as many people as I can in my second class tomorrow. I hope I get more than 50." The writer of the message also qualified that statement, implying that the threat wasn't serious, but So was arrested and charged with second-degree harassment.