What is Cyberlibel?
Cyberlibel is a catchphrase for defamation that takes place through the Internet, either on messageboards, email, blogs, chatrooms, personal websites, or other published articles. Defamation, in real life, means that someone has communicated a false and damaging statement to a third party that does verifiable harm to the defamed person’s reputation. Since cyberlibel occurs over cyberspace, it raises legal issues of free speech, public figures, opportunities to refute the statements, and anonymity that may warrant new laws and regulation. Traditionally, libel occurring through newspapers, magazines, fliers, or letters, made distinctions between a public and private figure. That is, a public figure such as a politician has less of an expectation of privacy regarding his or her activities. Also, it is easier for him or her to publicize their response or defense to damaging information to correct the public’s opinion. Yet an individual who is not in the public eye has a greater protection
