Slander is spoken defamation which tends to injure a person's reputation. It is contrasted with libel.
Slander is rarely an issue on the internet because very little is "spoken" over the internet.
The Communications Decency Act[1] protects internet service providers (ISP) and websites by mandating that they are not "publishers" or "speakers" for purposes of secondary liability. They cannot be held secondarily liable even if the plaintiff showed "actual malice" against the victim of the slander. Accordingly, websites are almost never responsible for the postings by their users.
To tell lies about another person is called slander or calumny.
To reveal the actual hidden faults or sins of another without sufficient cause, in such wise that the person's reputation or good name is seriously damaged, is called the sin of detraction.
According to some interpretations, slander is prohibited by God in the Ten Commandments. This can be extrapolated from Commandment 9 "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor." Satan manifests in Hollywood and liberal media through its insidious slander, gossip and ad hominem arguments, as seen in tabloid-style radio and television, yellow journalism and journalistic malpractice. Conservative and liberal religious groups and denominations which falsely misrepresent the teachings and doctrines or dogmas of any other religious group or denomination, especially in polemical arguments against them, are engaging in slander or calumny. Almost the whole task of apologetics is occupied with answering slanderous charges with reasonable evidence based on fact and documentation.
In Buddhist morality, the Five Precepts, which are required to receive as a formal oath or vow in order to be a Buddhist (unlike many liberals who call themselves Buddhists while ignoring morality), specifically forbid slander, gossip or "divisive speech" in the Fourth Precept which also forbids lying, lewd or lascivious speech (profanity), and harsh speech.
Categories: [Law] [Ethics] [Morality]