The Basics of Libel and Defamation
Defamation is illegal; but proving it can be hard. There are several standards which need to be met in order to win an online defamation lawsuit. Further, the statue enables significant amounts of interpretation, so each case must be meticulously analyzed and judged on its own merits.
At present, only two nations around the world - China and South Korea - currently have language-specific internet defamation laws. Many states in the United States have taken legal steps in the direction of online defamation legislation but, there is little significant advancement at the federal level.
The destruction of a young girl brought on the first attempts at federal government legislation regarding online defamation in the United States. In 2006, thirteen year old Megan Meier committed suicide after an online male “friend” started sending degrading and insulting messages. Following her death, it had been found that the “boy” was really an associate of Megan’s and the in addition knew the mother.
Charges were filed by local prosecutors against the parent of the child for Megan's death. On the federal level, the mother of the child was found guilty of computer abuse violations of misdemeanour level. The uproar over the trial led many states to update existing laws. Also, a piece of federal legislation bearing Megan's name was introduced. The legislation has yet to be passed since many feel it may hurt free-speech rights that are granted by the constitution.
The line between freedom of speech and online defamation is currently under debate in the hallowed halls of Capitol Hill. In Megan’s case, the bullying party made many statements about Megan’s character that were not true. However, due to the nature of freedom of speech - and the power of the Internet - lawmakers seem reluctant to tighten the online defamation reins. And as more and more people plug in and power up their computers, the chances for similar occurrences will continue to multiply.