Social Media Defamation: Causes and Effects


Social Media Defamation: Causes and Effects

The internet and social media have made the world a smaller place and given a bigger voice to the individual than at any other time in history. This has made life in the modern world a breeze, allowing almost anyone to easily build a wide, even global audience with ease. This is great both for brands and consumers as it evens the playing field and ensures that the best value is always delivered.

However, as with every powerful tool, some people will figure out how to weaponize it, wittingly or unwittingly, and that’s exactly what we are witnessing with the rise of potentially defamatory incidents on social media, largely directed at various brands. We are witnessing the weaponization of social media, which is simply not healthy for any stakeholder.

What Causes this Behaviour?

Make no mistake, brands should welcome criticism, complaints and feedback, provided it is genuine. However, this is sometimes not the case, as individuals or groups of individuals appear to mount vicious and malicious attacks on brands from time to time. These attacks can stem from an unwitting source, such as a disgruntled and irrational customer, or from a witting source such as a “psy-op-style” campaign launched by a competitor, or internet trolls operating in isolation or in groups. Whatever the cause, the effects of defamatory comments, posts and interactions on social media run deep. They work to not only destroy brands but also often cause psychological harm to the people behind them.

Popular Vectors of Attack and Vicious Cycles

There are many ways the perpetrators of social media attacks target brands and individuals, and their behaviour is often incentivized by various other actors who stand to benefit from the high levels of engagement and traffic that such attacks generate. Let’s look at some of the most popular methods.

Commenting and Reviewing Without Facts and Information – This is probably the most common and easily avoidable method used. Often, people will comment about brands based on their own biases rather than actual experiences. Sometimes this will be from a customer who simply had a bad experience that they have then magnified into something larger in order to “one up” the brand or get freebies. However, this method of attack is also used by those seeking to launch a mudslinging campaign against competitors. Either way, once these comments, posts and other content begin to go viral, it can become exceedingly difficult for a brand to defend the truth. The fact that “standing up to brands” tends to attract “social capital”, doesn’t help either. Overall, everyone, whether an individual or an organization, should consider the facts before they post anything.

Anonymous Reviews and Fake Accounts – Mostly used by groups in targeted attacks against a brand, the problem of anonymous reviews and fake accounts is a huge issue. There are even outfits offering fake posts, reviews and engagement as a service, which is a highly deceptive and morally reprehensible practice. This can not only affect brands negatively, but also average consumers as reviews become unreliable.

Unscrupulous Websites and Pages – There are many highly unscrupulous websites and pages of the “gossip” variety, where the webmasters are simply uncontactable and or refuse to take down incendiary and defamatory posts or comments, as it is that very kind of content that drives traffic to their sites. We are presently in dire need of some kind of regulation and legal responsibility for such malicious sites.

Overall Effects on Brands and Consumers

Some people may believe that they are fighting for consumers by defaming brands, and others may believe that they are gaining ground against their competition by engaging in defamation on social media platforms. However, it isn’t just brands that suffer. If we cannot trust reviews, comments and engagement levels on social media, everyone suffers!

Brands suffer because consumers don’t trust reviews and engagement levels, while consumers suffer by often being mislead and sold an inferior product or service. Furthermore, the victims of such behaviour often experience psychological distress and, in the case of smaller brands, may even give up entirely, resulting in a disservice to society at large and the impedance of innovation.

Therefore, it is time that responsible brands and consumers come together to take collective action in this regard, whether it is through public agitation or simply the private exercise of due diligence and responsibility, by thinking before we post, comment or share, and by reporting anything suspicious for the collective benefit of society at large.