defamation

Written or spoken untrue statements about another person. The law guiding defamation falls under an area known as tort law. Laws can vary from state to state, but generally follow a division along the lines of slander (spoken) and written (libel) and with different standards for public and private figures. While private figure plaintiffs must generally show that the defendant was negligent when defaming the plaintiff, public figure plaintiffs must generally show that the defendant acted with actual malice, knowing that the statements were false or had reckless disregard for the truth.

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