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Internet libel is a form of defamation that occurs on websites, including blogs, forums and message boards. It typically consists of false claims that defame a person’s character. In the US, it can be difficult to prove as much communication is protected by the First Amendment. False statements made as fact on the internet are often the only types of communication that constitute libel. Once a statement is made on a website, it can be nearly impossible to remove.
Internet libel is a specific form of defamation that occurs on a web page on the Internet. This type of libel can occur on virtually any type of website, including blogs, message boards, and forums. It usually consists of a defamation of character by one person towards another, and is usually untrue or only serves to damage another person’s reputation and character. Internet libel is often difficult to prove in the United States, as much communication is protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, and Internet legislation is still a developing area of regulation.
Also sometimes called cyber-defamation or cyber-slander, Internet libel typically consists of claims made by one person about another that are false and serve to defame the character of the target. Libel, broadly, refers to a statement that acts as a defamation of character made in writing or in some other form of permanent medium, typically a book, magazine, newspaper, and now on the Internet. This is in contrast to slander, which is a libel of character that is spoken or transient in nature, often more difficult to prove due to lack of a lasting record.
Internet libel is typically false, and the claim must be made as a statement of fact, not opinion, to qualify as libel. In countries that protect a person’s right to free speech, such as the United States, someone can freely express an opinion, even if it defames another person’s character. A statement is generally only considered defamatory if it is made as a statement of fact. Internet defamation also usually has to be false, and a defense of truth can usually be used against a lawsuit or similar legal action against someone accused of defamation.
There are exceptions to the defense of truth, although they are quite rare. If a statement is made that is true, but has no other purpose than to defame a person and does not serve the common good, it could still be considered Internet libel. This can be a tough case to make, however, and false statements made as fact on the Internet are still often the only types of communication that constitute libel. Internet libel can be particularly harmful because of the way information spreads on the Internet; once a statement is made on a website, it can be nearly impossible for that statement to be completely removed from the internet.
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