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ARTICLE · 04 MAY 2021

Injunction Granted To Stop Defamatory Posts Published On Instagram

Gardiner Roberts LLP
Gardiner Roberts LLP
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Social media is a great tool for, among other things, the promotion of personal or business interests, or connecting with like-minded individuals.

CanadaLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
Stephen Thiele
Stephen Thiele
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Social media is a great tool for, among other things, the promotion of personal or business interests, or connecting with like-minded individuals. It provides a window to the world that didn't exist when I first began to practise law in 1992. However, as we have written in previous blogs the use of social media has a dark side. In the hands of some, social media has become a weapon to harm the personal or business reputations of others. Although a victim of defamation can bring a lawsuit to seek damages for reputational harm for defamatory publications posted on social media, by the time a victim gets to court a defamatory post might be seen by tens of thousands of people, if not more, both locally and worldwide. The psychological harm caused by such online harassment and bullying can be devastating, and accordingly a person who is defamed on social media may be well-advised to seriously consider obtaining an injunction.

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