Defamation on Social Media Platforms

Claiming for Defamation of Character on Social Media

In recent times there have been successful defamation claims brought in Ireland regarding defamatory statements made on Facebook and Twitter:

Hospital Worker awarded €65,000 after being Defamed on Facebook >
Man order to pay €75,000 for Defamatory Facebook Comment >

Defamatory statements made online can and do have legal consequences. THINK BEFORE YOU POST.

If you have been defamed on social media it is advisable to obtain as much evidence of the defamatory comment as possible, in this regard, you should take a screenshot of the actual defamatory statement, keep note of any comments made by other social media users under the statement (the thread), details of the person that has posted the statement, check how many ‘friends or followers’ this person has as this will give a rough idea of how many people have seen the defamatory statement, keep track of how long the statement remains online.

At this point it is important that you contact a solicitor and provide them with all relevant information so that they are in a position to advise you as to whether or not you have a stateable claim for defamation and whether or not the claim is worth pursuing.