To ask you if I have committed libel?

[batmanwoman]

Long term poster, NC'd as I'd rather not out myself and link username here to username elsewhere

I don't really understand libel (which I think I should if I'm going to use social media and be angry on it)

How do you express anger at an individual in the public eye for things that are in the public domain but are also your personal views e.g. You say they have been abusive to someone (and believe that by what they've done which is known publicly) but someone else might not agree (particularly them)

Wondering if despite being a miniscule fish on twitter I've actually been a bit dumb with a tweet and should swiftly delete it despite firmly believing in what I have said

Won't post the tweet but would be very grateful to know if I'm being a fool to leave up a tweet

If a tweet is worrying you this much then you should probably just delete it.

If you are not happy with it delete it.

Thing is I'm very happy with it. Just not happy enough to be sued for libel

Hi OP no advice as such as I don't actually know myself however gut instinct would be to remove whilst I clarify just in case. Hope you get it sorted

Can you prove what you are saying? Did you witness them being abusive? Or are you basing it on what someone else said?

If in doubt, delete it. Wild guess but it’s not about Danny from strictly is it?

Ha nothing to do with strictly

It's my opinion on their own public behaviour- there's proof they did it. My opinion it was abusive. Clearly they disagree or they wouldn't have chosen to publish something they did

If I'm understanding correctly; there is proof that someone has done something; and the person doesn't dispute that - but you've alleged that by doing it, they've been abusive?

It is possible that it is libellous. Without seeing the tweet, I wouldn't like to comment - if you don't want to share your views here; or with a solicitor, your best course of action is to remove it as it has the potential to be libellous.

I would just delete it to be honest, is it you basically accusing them of a crime that they’re denying? It’s a bit unclear

Op alot of stuff the newspapers print can be hearsay and gossip and not the full truth, unless you know the person in person and know the facts what happened, then I would remove the tweet...

Look at this way, would you like a complete stranger posting tweets about something they heard about in your life, even if it's true or not?

Some celebrities are hitting back on trolls on social media and calling the police on them, so unless you are prepared to be sued for your words, think carefully about whether to delete them

Defamation is a publication to another party of something which is untrue and which would undermine the reputation of the defamed individual in the eyes of right minded members of the public.

There are the following defences:

It is true

Honest opinion - it’s an opinion with an apparent basis that an honest person could have held

Publication on a matter of public interest

Absolute privilege (e.g. what MP’s have in Parliament)

Innocent dissemination

If your defence is truth you have to be able to prove the statement is true.

Your situation sounds more like your defence is honest opinion - it is your opinion that the behaviour is abusive. If there is an apparent basis for this and it’s an opinion that an honest person could reasonably hold, then you have a defence against defamation.

You’re probably fine. Prosecuting for defamation is hard, and unless you have thousands of followers you’d likely be considered not worth the additional publicity of attempting to sue you.

Oh fuck deleted it just in case

I will nc back to my usual username now so no harm in saying as I deleted it

I told someone I felt they exploited a CSE victim to further their agenda in an interview

In less nice language

I think I'd better understand libel laws before firing off my gob at people with far more fame and money than myself though

Probably is worth understanding where that line is, if you're going to engage in heated debate. I've learnt to bite my tongue a lot of Twitter.

Wasn't there great debate about this theme last week, with the video of the model Grenfell tower on a bonfire ...... where was the line between that being a not nice / nasty / uncaring thing to do, and actually being illegal.

That sounds like honest opinion rather than libel/defamation to me. If the famous person in question is an obnoxious vain prick with a history of launching lawsuits, perhaps deleting the tweet is a safer option (some of the nastiest people are very fond of shutting down criticism by screaming for their lawyers).

Was it that fucker Yaxley-Lennon you were having a go at? If so, I salute you.

It doesn't sound as if that is accusing them of being involved in crime, and it probably isn't libellous. But it does depend on your exact wording.

Hi OP, there are ways to write things that still imply your point without actually making it. 'This worries me', 'what could this mean?', I this seems to be a red flag', 'Do you feel that' etc. Twitter is full of defamatory statements and people have been taken to court over it.

If you said (for example) - " I think CList Celeb is setting a bad example to her fans by posing naked on the beach" than that's not libel. Writing "CList Celeb looks awful in that dress, it makes her look fat" isn't libel either. Neither is writing "Urgh, I can't stand CList Celeb, her behaviour makes my stomach churn". All personal opinion and although it could be argued that it's unpleasant, you'd entitled to your thoughts.

However, if you tweet "I hate CList Celeb, she's a benefits cheat and kicks puppies for fun" then that could potentially be libellous (unless it's true, of course).

Generally speaking..

If it is clearly YOUR opinion ie 'I think that so and so is a prick'.. fine.

If you are claiming hard fact that you cannot back up 'I know that so and so is a theif/rapist/has committed fraud' then you might get into trouble.

So your opinion, on things that have happened and there are dozens of witnesses, is going to be fine.

There are several threads about that individual on here. None have been deleted by MNHQ and they are under constant fire from people like this to shut down opinion.

The article is on the public domain and you are allowed to draw your own conclusions from it

So you could have expressed your opinion more politely and left it up, yet you've deleted it because you were abusive Would you say it to their face? If not, probably best avoided online as well tbh.

Would have thought there's a big difference in tweeting
"I'm my opinion you behaviour appears to be abusive"
AND
"You are an abuser"
.......though I recognise that the first example probably lacks some of the clout you were trying to convey in your tweet. If in doubt, delete.

l've been on twitter for years and l have quite a few followers. l say what l think, however, l'm ex police and l'm extremely careful about how l phrase stuff. lf you think what you've posted could get you into some kind of legal wrangle, then personally, l'd delete it.

I think Anyfucker has the person

I would say it to their face, just don't want to be sued for libel. I've said similar on here but felt safer than doing it on twitter

My honest opinion if they're a cunt who exploited a child victim of CSE and wrote about it

Since I haven't named the individual I assume that's not libellous

If this relates to PT, I've seen some very strong reactions to that interview/article, which has apparently been in the public domain for about 20 years on his own website. From what I've seen of it it's hard to see how PT's position can be defended. The best you could say about it is that he was astoundingly naive. Most people would judge it more harshly than that. However, given how keen PT is on free speech it would be very hypocritical of him to start suing now.

OP doesn't regard her own tweet as abusive though, does she Sassi? She thinks theperson she was tweeting about was abusive.