Washington Injury Law Blog

You think you can hide anonymously behind your computer and post false and unauthorized profiles on social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace? Think again! An English businessman in London, England was successful this week in obtaining $43,767 in damages for defamation against a former friend who posted a false Facebook page about the man.

The false Facebook page was up on the Web for only 16 days. The men previously worked together and had a falling out. The former friend posted a Facebook page that looked like it was posted by the businessman.  The page made false claims about the businessman’s sexuality, financial indebtedness, and political views. Facebook staff traced the pages as being posted from the former friend’s computer. End result is $43,767 for doing something stupid!

False and misleading information is posted on social network sites everyday. What you may not realize is that U.S. defamation laws apply to the Internet the same as they do to newspapers. If you’re thinking about seeking revenge at your ex or other “enemy” by posting a false Facebook or other social network page, don’t do it! You could find yourself defending  your actions in court.

Max Meyers