“More attempts to chill free speech in the ‘free’ State of Florida,” said one Democratic lawmaker.

  • Schadrach@lemmy.sdf.org
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    10 months ago

    Isn’t truth a complete defense against defamation? As in, if your statement is provably true then it is by definition not defamation (like, this is why the news makes such heavy use of the word “alleged”). So, for example, forwarding someone’s personal social media to their employer couldn’t be defamation, presuming you weren’t claiming someone else’s social media was theirs or something. Always make sure when you dox someone you get the right John Smith, I guess?

    • Kepabar@startrek.website
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      10 months ago

      Yes, truth is a defense.

      The grey area this law attempts to exploit is that terms like ‘racist’ have no absolute definition. The term can be used as a response to anything from ‘i don’t like Indian food’ to ‘Hilters views on the aryan race were right’.

      Take the Indian food example. If you were you say that, and I called you a racist for it, is that a matter of opinion on my behalf or a fact that is the basis of a defamation suit?