Internet Defamation

Publication of defamatory statements over the Internet may also cause an escalation in damage awards. This is because the Internet would broaden the audience that may view the defamatory remarks. As a judge on the Ontario Court of Appeal noted in 2004 in Barrick Gold Corp. , communication via the Internet is instantaneous, seamless, interactive, blunt, borderless and far-reaching. It is also impersonal, and the anonymous nature of such communications may itself create a greater risk that the defamatory remarks are believed.” The judge later stated that “Internet defamation is distinguished from its less pervasive cousins, in terms of its potential to damage the reputation of individuals and corporations … The mode and extent of publication is therefore a particularly significant consideration in assessing damages in Internet defamation cases.” In part because of the scope of the Internet’s audience, the Ontario Court of Appeal in Barrick increased the damages against the defendant from $15,000 for general damages and no punitive damages to $75,000 in general damages and $50,000 in punitive damages. It appears that the worldwide scope of the Internet will lead judges to make more generous damage awards.

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/09/07/defamati...ur-friends