Video chapters
Quick answer
A false and reputation-damaging statement may support a defamation claim if it was published to someone else, identified you and caused or is likely to cause serious harm. Preserve the exact publication, audience and impact, and get advice before sending the required concerns notice.
What to do
- Capture — Preserve the words, URL, date, audience and account details
- Measure — Document serious reputational or financial harm
- Assess — Test identification, meaning, publication and likely defences
- Notice — Use a compliant concerns notice before proceedings
Transcript
Someone has posted or said something false about you. A defamation claim may exist, but being false is not enough. The publication must identify you, be communicated to at least one other person, carry a defamatory meaning, and cause or be likely to cause serious harm to your reputation.
Save full-page screenshots, URLs, dates, account details, comments, shares and the surrounding context. Record who received or heard the statement and evidence of lost work, customers, relationships or distress. Do not crop away material that changes the meaning. A preserved original is more useful than a retold version.
A concerns notice identifies the publication, the imputations conveyed, and the serious harm caused or likely. It opens a formal offer-to-make-amends process before litigation. Defences can include substantial truth, honest opinion, privilege and public interest, so obtain advice before demanding money or threatening proceedings.
Report the content to the platform and preserve the report. eSafety can help with specific categories such as adult cyber abuse or image-based abuse, but it does not decide ordinary reputation disputes. Injunctions are exceptional, litigation is expensive, and defamation limitation periods are unusually short.
A lawyer can test the meaning, harm, evidence, defendants and defences, then draft the correct notice. Go To Court can provide free general information and arrange a civil-law consultation where a suitable lawyer is available. The contact details are on your screen.
Sources and further help
Sources checked 3 September 2026.
Important
This video provides general information about defamation law in Australia. It is not legal advice and does not take account of your circumstances. Laws, procedures, fees and time limits can change, and state or territory rules may apply. Get advice from a qualified lawyer about your situation.