Defamation In The Internet Age: The Law And Social Media

Introduction

As of 2016, 88% of Canadians were internet users. Ontario, the most connected province in 2016, had 67% of its residents using social media platforms.¹ The most popular social media networks in Canada were largely dominated by:

Canadian users, on average, spent 40 minutes daily on Facebook. 87% of Facebook users were aged 18-29 and 77% of Facebook users were young females.

There is no doubt that social media platforms have played an increasing role as the communication methods of choice for many, especially younger individuals in Canada. As more and more individuals consume their daily lives with communications through social media, it is perhaps unsurprising that some of the more interesting developments in the law of defamation have emerged from this space.