With the ever-increasing use of instant messaging on apps like WhatsApp, it’s important that users understand defamation law in regard to these types of digital communications. Even though WhatsApp messages are considered private, they can be shared with multiple...
Firm News
Can you get sued for leaving negative reviews online?
In this day and age, businesses rely on reviews in order to grow their customer or client base. Many will even encourage customers to leave an online review after purchasing a product or utilizing a service. However, not every business interaction is a positive one,...
Loosening Defamation Protections: Bill Advances in Florida
A bill that would loosen defamation lawsuit restrictions has advanced in the Florida House. Though this isn’t the first time this bill has been presented, it has recently gained more support from both sides of the political aisle due to the fact that many legislators...
Concerns Around the End of Fact Checking on Social Media
Meta, the company that owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, recently announced that it will stop using third-party fact checkers on all of their platforms. Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s Chief Executive believes the fact checking systems that were put in place in 2016...
Online Defamation on the Rise
In the era of social media, online defamation has become commonplace, especially on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter/X. Many people may see these online forums as a safe space to complain about others or air another’s dirty laundry, but they may be unaware that...
New Florida Legislation Could Make it Easier to Sue for Defamation
The state of Florida is attempting to change their defamation laws, and if passed, the changes would make it easier for public officials to bring defamation lawsuits against their critics, namely those in the media. The proposed HB 757 would reverse decades of Supreme...
The Growing Need for Social Media Lawyers
There’s no doubt that social media has become a huge part of our everyday lives. Whether we’re making connections with friends and family, or in the business world, nearly everyone is using at least one social media platform such as Facebook, Twitter/X, or Instagram....
Online Defamation Laws: U.S. vs. Canada
While both the United States and Canada share common legal roots, there are differences in how they handle online defamation. Though both countries have defamation laws that apply to online statements, the legal standards, procedural rules, and available defenses can...
Key Aspects of Online Defamation
Online defamation, also known as internet defamation, occurs when false statements that harm someone's reputation are published on the internet. Defamatory statements can take various forms online, including written posts, comments, images, videos, or any other...
The Debate Around Section 230
Section 230 refers to a provision of the Communications Decency Act which passed in 1996. This section, often abbreviated as CDA 230, provides legal immunity to online platforms and service providers for content posted by their users. The key provision of Section 230...