Diary for Reputation Management


Libel Online - Online Defamation

2011-10-18

Proving defamation online can be hard but that does not make it legal.Many standards should be met so that you can win an online defamation lawsuit. Further, the statue provides for substantial amounts of interpretation, so each case must be painstakingly analyzed and judged on its own merits.

Defamation is when a person makes a false statement - which could be interpreted as fact - that points a negative light on another person, business or government. Slander is spoken defamation, while libel is written defamation. In other words, if an individual types false comments on the internet, they may not be committing slander, but rather, libel. The sole instance when online defamation is recognized as slander happens when the statement in question is a component of an online video.

At present, only two nations - China and South Korea - currently have language-specific internet defamation regulations. Numerous states in the U.S. have taken legislative steps toward online defamation regulation but, there is minor significant advancement at the federal level.

The suicide of an adolescent girl brought on the initial attempts at federal legislation regarding online defamation in the United States. In 2006, thirteen year old Megan Meier killed herself after a "friend" online sent degrading and insulting messages. After the girl's death, it had been discovered that the “boy” was really a friend of Megan’s and the in addition knew the mother.

Charges were filed by local prosecutors against the parent of the child for Megan's death. Federally, the mother was found guilty of misdemeanour computer abuse violations. After the trial the uproar left many states in a panic to update existing laws on defamation. In addition, a federal law in Megan’s name was introduced at the legislative level. The law has not yet passed since many feel it impedes free-speech rights outlined in the Constitution.

The line between freedom of speech and online defamation is currently under debate in the hallowed halls of Capitol Hill. In Megan’s case, the bullying party made many statements about Megan’s character that were not true. However, due to the nature of freedom of speech - and the power of the Internet - lawmakers seem reluctant to tighten the online defamation reins. And as more and more people plug in and power up their computers, the chances for similar occurrences will continue to multiply.


The Basics of Libel and Defamation Law

2011-10-18

Defamation is when a person makes a false statement - which could be interpreted as fact - that points a negative light on another person, business or government. Slander is spoken defamation, while libel is written defamation. In other words, if a person types false comments on the internet, they are not committing slander, but alternatively, libel. The sole time when online defamation is regarded as slander is when the statement under consideration is part of an online video.

Proving defamation online can be tough but that doesn't make it legal.Many standards should be met in order to win an online defamation lawsuit. Further, the statue enables large amounts of interpretation, so each case must be painstakingly examined and judged on its own merits.

Presently, only two countries - China and South Korea - have language-specific internet defamation regulations. Many states in the United States have taken legislative measures towards online defamation legislation but, there's been minor significant progress at the federal level.

The distinction between online defamation and freedom of speech is under heavy debate in the halls of Washington D.C. In Megan’s case, the bullying party made many statements about Megan’s character that were not true. Two powerful forces, those being the internet and the base freedoms of speech laid forth by the constitution have made legislators hesitant to tighten the laws on online defamation. More people plug in to the internet daily and continue to voice opinions that could be seen as defamation. This causes the chances for similar cases to multiply drastically.



Reputation Management & Defamation of Character

2011-10-18

Defamation is when a person makes a false statement - which could be interpreted as fact - that points a negative light on another person, business or government. Slander is spoken defamation, while libel is written defamation. Put simply, when someone types false comments online, they are not committing slander, but instead, libel. The sole instance when online defamation is considered to be slander is when the statement in question is part of an online video.

Proving defamation online can be challenging but that doesn't make it legal.Many standards should be met to be able to win an online defamation lawsuit. Moreover, the statue allows for a significant amount of interpretation, so each case has to be meticulously examined on its own merits.

Currently, only two nations - China and South Korea - possess language-specific internet defamation legislation. Many states in the U.S. have taken legal steps towards online defamation legislation but, there's been little meaningful advancement at the federal government level.

The suicide of a young Missourian forced the earliest attempt at federal government legislation in the United States. In 2006, thirteen year old Megan Meier killed herself after a "friend" on the internet sent degrading and insulting messages. Following the girl's death, it was discovered that the “boy” was really an associate of Megan’s and the in addition knew the mother.

online reputation

Local prosecutors did file charges against the parent and teen for Megan’s death. Federally, the mother was found guilty of misdemeanour computer abuse violations. After the trial the uproar left many states in a panic to update existing laws on defamation. Also, a piece of federal legislation bearing Megan's name was introduced. The law has not yet passed since many feel it impedes free-speech rights outlined in the Constitution.

The line between freedom of speech and online defamation is currently under debate in the hallowed halls of Capitol Hill. Specifically in the case of Megan, the bullying party made specific statements in quantity about Megan's character that were considered pure defamation. However, due to the nature of freedom of speech - and the power of the Internet - lawmakers seem reluctant to tighten the online defamation reins. More people plug in to the internet daily and continue to voice opinions that could be seen as defamation. This causes the chances for similar cases to multiply drastically.