Last week, we took a basic look at libel and slander laws and the types statements that can and can’t be defamatory. This week, we continue to talk trash talk with an overview of some legal issues particular to online speech. Sock Puppets and the Anonymous Troll Even if what someone posted about you is genuinely defamatory (see Part 1), it’s tough to do anything about it if you don’t know who the author is. Anonymity remains a hallmark of online discourse, especially of the m

Defamation lawsuits used to be mainly the domain of celebrities and the media companies that wrote or spoke about them. Thanks to the Internet (and social media in particular), though, everyone is now both a publisher and a potential subject of publication. As a consequence, if you spend any significant amount of time online, there’s a good chance you’ve encountered someone threatening to sue someone else over something they posted. Unfortunately, defamation law may have capt