Defamation lawyer Yair Cohen advises to remove emotions from any response to internet defamation.

You may have suddenly discovered that there is something defamatory written about you or your company over the internet.  You may, perhaps out of anger, respond to that post without thinking through the long-term consequences. If so, you may have just made the situation a thousand times worse with serious long term implications to your organisation.

It is not always a good idea to respond to negative comments on the internet.  Although you may feel the immediate urge to defend your reputation, consider your reaction carefully. If you decide to respond, you will need to plan what you say and ensure that anything that you do say will not cause you greater problems in the future. Defamation lawyer Yair Cohen says that the last thing you probably want to do is to enter into a never-ending dialogue with your accusers.

It is best to avoid using explicit language or to come across as defensive.  If you are responding on behalf of a company you will have to be aware that whatever you say may have a huge effect on the company’s reputation and even on its share prices.

Responding to negative comments could attract search engine results to the original defamatory post.  This means the comments you do not want people to see will become more visible on the web, drawing more attention than if they were simply left alone. This would then seriously damage your reputation, or your business, which could lead to huge consequences.

Whatever you decide to do, don’t gamble. Obtain professional advice immediately as you become aware of the defamation on the internet and follow it through.

Visit the Internet Law Centre to read tips on internet defamation.