How to Fix Internet Slander - InternetReputation.com

With even Google joining the social networking revolution with its own “more personal” version of a Facebook-like social network and the prevalence of internet blogs, an aspect that people can sometimes forget about is that of internet slander.  What exactly is internet slander?  And, more importantly, precisely who is responsible when internet slander occurs?  Is it the operator of the blog or web site or the person who posted the slander?  Where does the line get drawn between protecting freedom of speech and making sure an internet slander doesn’t take on a viral life of its own?  These are questions any reasonable social networker or blog operator should be asking themselves. 

Regular old offline slander is basically making false and/or malicious statements or reports about someone.  With the availability to easily open many different e-mail accounts under a variety of pseudonyms, slanderers can begin to feel like they are truly anonymous and hidden.  But are they really?  Currently, and unfortunately for businesses, yes.  That is why protecting yourself and your business from internet slander is a very delicate matter.    

In the virtual Web 2.0 world, what gets posted and blogged about you and your business is far more important than what you post and blog.   In the United States, blogs are considered (legally) to be vehicles for opinion sharing; not facts.  This is why it is so challenging to protect yourself from internet slander.    

The other challenge is that operators of blogs, where negative or defamatory information is posted, are immune from any legal responsibility for statements posted on their web sites – as long as they do not comment on or contribute to the negative posting.  So, how can you protect yourself and your businesses’ reputation from any internet slander?  Are there any simple steps you can take to protect yourself from these trolls?  One of the first steps you can take to protect yourself is to start keeping a log of any and all cyber slander.  Record Ips, usernames, e-mail addresses, and any other web identification the poster has.  That way, you can begin to track them down and take the necessary steps to prevent further internet slander from happening in the future.

Reviewed by author: Ashley Adams

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