Can I bring legal action against a person who is harassing/bullying/slandering me with messages on social media?
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Can I bring legal action against a person who is harassing/bullying/slandering me with messages on social media?
I have 100 in just 2 days. I have screen shots of everything that has been happening on social media. Between the 2 of us. I have repeatedly asked her to stop. As per pictures prove.
Asked on November 3, 2019 under Personal Injury, Iowa
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 5 years ago | Contributor
If she is threatening violence or illegal actions (e.g. theft, vandalism, blackmail), go to the police: those are crimes.
If she is to other people (not just/only to you) making untrue factual statements about that hurt your repuation, you could sue her for defamation. But they must be untrue factual statements: true facts are not defamation, even if damaging and opinions are not defamation. Examples:
1) She claims you use drugs or view child porn when you do not--those are negative untrue factual assertions and would be defamation.
2) She claims you were fired from your last job for falsifying time sheets and you were in fact fired for falsifying time sheets: that is true, so even though you don't want it know, she can legally say this. It is not defamation.
3) She writes that you are a "creep" or "untrustworthy": those are opinions, not facts. It is not defamation.
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