Defamation of Character by an Anonymous Source on the Internet
Defamation of character by an anonymous source on the Internet is harmful and is sometimes referred to as "cyber bullying." People harmed can sue and obtain monetary damages, but there are additional challenges when posters are anonymous.
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Identification
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Defamation of character is either libel or slander. Defamatory content on the Internet is considered libel. Libel suits are civil suits against individuals for making untrue statements about an individual. These statements must harm the victim's reputation.
Anonymity
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A lawsuit called a SLAPP is used to identify anonymous posters by asking a judge to order Internet Service Providers to reveal their identities. In Lesher v. Does, as reported by the Media Law Project, the defendants sued Topix.com to reveal names of anonymous posters, and as a result, as of August, 2010, some "John and Jane Doe" defendants had been renamed as individual defendants.
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Effects
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Defamation on the Internet, whether anonymous or not, is potentially unlimited in scope and time, which makes it especially pernicious. Fortunately, courts have long recognized that an individual's right to free speech does not extend to defamatory statements.
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References
- Photo Credit lonely girl image by Alexander Zhiltsov from Fotolia.com
