Cosgrove Gaynard Solicitors

If you are the victim of defamatory material being posted online, the following are the necessary steps to have the material removed immediately:

Take screenshots of the comment, the persons account (including any likes, shares, retweets) and the URL of the page of the comment/comments on it. Ensure to capture the dates and times of the comments also.

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Report the problem to the social media platform. Facebook has an option on their website to report and lodge complaints. Twitter , Instagram and other social medica platforms also have a similar procedures whereby you can request a post be removed.

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Keep a copy/ screenshot of the complaint as this is proof that you have notified them. It is important to note that the social media platform itself could be held liable if they do not take adequate steps to remove the statement once notified. A common defence can often be that the complaint was not received or never lodged and so this step is important.

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If no reply is received or the issue has not been dealt with, contact your solicitor immediately to escalate the removal.