Defamation is the act of making untrue statements that are damaging to another party. One requirement is that the person making the statements has to know that they are untrue at the time. That person is deliberately saying something that they know is false specifically because they know that it will harm the other party’s reputation, whether that is a business or an individual.
There are two main types of defamation. The first is known as slander. This applies to things that were said about you, such as comments made during an interview.
The second type of defamation is known as libel. This applies to things that were published or written about you. In both cases, the statements are untrue, but the difference is whether they were spoken or written down. Written statements are more permanent and could theoretically reach more people.
The impact of online defamation
The internet has changed the way that people communicate. Often, people will refer to comments that they made on social media as things that they “said,” even though they wrote their words down on a computer or a cellphone.
From a defamation perspective, these comments are being published online. Since they have such a wide audience, they may actually qualify as libel, rather than slander. Online defamation is an issue either way, but it is important to know how to categorize it.
What are your legal options?
Defamation can harm your reputation, your standing in the community, your earning potential and much more. It can help to work with an experienced law firm to explore your options if this has happened to you