In chapter 6 you learned that badmouthing businesses online can have costly consequences. Some companies have used so-called SLAPP laws to sue consumers for writing negative reviews on the Internet. The acronym stands for Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation. Opponents consider such lawsuits frivolous and believe they threaten the public’s free speech rights under the First Amendment. Therefore, 30 states and the District of Columbia currently have anti-SLAPP laws allowing early dismissal of meritless lawsuits brought to intimidate and silence reviewers and other public critics.
Is trying to silence reviewers on social media fair, or are businesses within their rights to protect from illegitimate damaging complaints? (L.O. 3)
Public Criticism Can Cost You
Businesses and professionals can take individuals to court for negative comments online. A Florida man who complained on Yelp about his dog’s death was sued by the animal hospital for defamation. A doctor in New York sued a patient for $1 million for posting negative reviews. A Kansas man faced a lawsuit for giving three stars to a theme park on Tripadvisor. Such so-called “strategic lawsuits against public participation” SLAPP are criticized as chilling to free speech. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is beginning to crack down on the silencing of critical reviewers under the Consumer Review Fairness Act of 2016.
Assignment: SLAPPs in Business Communication
Analyze Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) and their impact on business communication, ethics, and reputation management.
Instructions:
- Research SLAPPs:
- Define SLAPPs and explain their purpose. Do you think it is important? Do you think it gives one side too much of an advantage?
- Provide one real-world example of a company using a SLAPP.
- Describe the lawsuit’s impact on the company and public perception.
- Suggest alternative communication strategies the company could have used.
- Should SLAPPs be eliminated, changed, or revised?
- How can businesses handle criticism ethically without lawsuits?
Answer the questions above