Publicly criticizing someone on social media
You might be full of rage and desperate to vent to your social media friends about your bad breakup but if there’s something untrue or exaggerated in your story, you might be accused of defamation and face charges, warns Paul H. Cannon, attorney and shareholder at Simmons and Fletcher, PC.
“Social media has become such a common part of life that people forget that anything you write on social media is a publication, so if you write a false statement about someone online and it causes them harm to their reputation or financial loss, you can be sued for libel,” he says. Just search for the story of a Texas couple who received 13.8 million dollars in 2012 after they were slammed online.
What you can do instead: “As hard as it is, the best way to avoid a slander or libel lawsuit is to keep your criticisms to yourself,” Cannon recommends. If you really feel like tell your friends all about your slimeball ex, do it in person not online.
