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Can you sue over false

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statements online, at work, or

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in person?

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Sometimes.

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A false factual accusation

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shared with someone else may

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support a defamation claim.

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Preserve the evidence first.

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This is a United States

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overview;

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the state and circumstances

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matter.

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A typical claim concerns a

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false factual statement about

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you, communicated to someone

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else, with the required level

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of fault and legally recognized

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harm.

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Written posts and spoken

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accusations can both qualify.

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Hurt feelings alone do not

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establish every element.

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A lawyer must assess the exact

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words, audience, context and

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applicable law.

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Consider two hypothetical

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statements.

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Saying you disliked someone’s

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service may express a personal

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opinion.

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Falsely saying that person

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stole a customer’s payment

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asserts a fact that could be

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checked.

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Adding the words, in my

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opinion, does not automatically

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protect a factual accusation.

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The whole context matters,

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including satire or obvious

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exaggeration.

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Substantial truth is generally

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a defense, even if the

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statement is embarrassing.

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Public officials and public

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figures generally face a

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demanding constitutional test:

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proof that the speaker knew the

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statement was false or

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seriously doubted its truth.

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This is called actual malice;

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it does not simply mean anger

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or dislike.

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Private people may need to

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prove a lower level of

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responsibility, but the subject

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matter and type of damages

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still matter.

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Do not assume every false

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statement meets the test.

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Statements made in court, in

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official proceedings, or

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between people with a shared

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work-related interest may have

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legal protection called

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privilege.

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Some protections are

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conditional and can be lost;

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their scope varies.

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An internal workplace complaint

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is not automatically an

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actionable attack, nor is every

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workplace statement immune.

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Keep the original communication

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and let a lawyer assess the

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purpose, recipients and

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circumstances.

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For an online post, identify

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the actual author and preserve

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the full page, account details,

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address and publication date.

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Federal law often protects a

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website from defamation

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liability for content supplied

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by someone else.

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It does not give the original

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author a free pass to invent

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facts.

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Platform responsibility,

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anonymous authors and

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cross-state disputes need

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individual analysis.

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A complaint to a platform does

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not guarantee removal.

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Filing deadlines can be short,

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and some states have separate

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correction or retraction rules

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that affect available damages.

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There is no single national

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deadline.

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Ask when time began, what

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notice is required, and which

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court and law apply.

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Do not assume that an online

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post staying visible, a removal

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request, or an exchange of

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messages gives you more time to

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sue.

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Some states have special laws

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against lawsuits targeting

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protected speech or

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petitioning.

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A defendant may seek early

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dismissal, and an unsuccessful

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claimant may have to pay the

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defendant’s attorney fees.

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California is one example;

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coverage and procedure vary.

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Before sending a legal threat,

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ask about these rules,

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defenses, likely costs and

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realistic remedies.

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A lawsuit does not guarantee

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compensation, an apology or a

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takedown.

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One:

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save complete original posts,

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messages and lawful records,

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including dates, links and

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witnesses;

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keep an unedited copy.

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Two:

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collect evidence showing what

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is false and how your

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reputation, work or income was

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affected.

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Three:

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get local advice about

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deadlines, legal protections

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and costs, then consider an

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accurate correction request,

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platform report, negotiation or

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a claim.

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Avoid retaliatory accusations,

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threats or spreading the

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statement further.

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For general legal information,

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Legal Hotline’s United States

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number is on screen.

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Read the full answer and

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sources at Legal Hotline dot

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com, with a hyphen between

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Legal and Hotline.

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This is an information service,

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not a law firm;

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lawyer matching is separate.

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Your state, the exact statement

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and the circumstances need

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individual advice.