Did you know that the number of defamation cases going to court has almost trebled in the last few years? This is thought to be due to the huge increase in social media use in the same time period. The things that people write on social media can have significant consequences, particularly if it involves reviews of companies or even personal slander.
Anyone who has access to social media now has a voice online but what many don’t realise is that they are effectively publishers but without the strict governance of the usual laws that traditional broadcasters and the media must adhere to. This leads to many believing that they can say what they like without consequence.
A person can post a defamatory opinion, whether about a business or individual and it instantly becomes available for thousands to see across the world in a matter of seconds. This has, inevitably led to a large rise in people taking legal action against these social media users. If you need legal advice for this, or any other matter, consider a Gloucester Solicitor at a site like https://www.deeandgriffin.co.uk/
New legislation came into force in 2013 called The Defamation Act. For anyone wishing to make a claim, they must prove that the comments made about them meet a threshold for serious harm. For businesses this means serious financial loss and for an individual, serious harm to their reputation.
With the increased use of social media during lockdown this year, it seems inevitable that defamation cases will continue to rise in the foreseeable future.