The rise of social media every bit a means of communication means that reviews, good, bad or indifferent, reach a much wider audience and at a much faster stride.

While most reviews are 18-carat, in that location are occasions when negative reviews are posted out of malice, they might be untrue and slanderous to a business organisation, only there is very trivial those affected tin can do to remove the reviews on the sites themselves.

Although the total number of reported defamation cases in the UK is at the lowest level since 2008/9, a study by Thomson Reuters institute that social media is the simply expanse where defamation cases are continuing to increase, with an 18% rise in cases since last year.

What is the difference between a negative comment and a defamatory comment?

"Put merely, a annotate becomes defamatory when the reviewer has posted an untruth or is deliberately misleading the reader," says Ben Jenkins, Dispute Resolution Partner at HardingEvans and specialist in Defamation Claims.

"We have advised clients in cases where negative reviews take been posted by people who have not had a relationship directly with the business organisation concerned, just for whatever reason felt information technology advisable to vent their ain or another person's frustrations online.

"While all businesses can look some level of criticism from time to fourth dimension; equally the sometime adage goes 'you can't please everyone!', defamation that is likely to crusade serious financial and reputational impairment to a business may demand more forceful and immediate activeness and you might want to consider legal advice."

People often review the hotels they stay at on sites such as TripAdvisor

DAS Law concurs and says a bad review is only defamatory if a simulated argument is made that is likely to cause fiscal loss to a business. Everyone has the right to freedom of expression, merely this is not an absolute right and does not give the right to make defamatory statements.

What is the difference between libel and slander?

Libel is a defamatory statement in a permanent form (websites, films, writing and radio/TV circulate)

Slander is a defamatory argument in a transient form (an oral statement)

What happens to a 'false review'?

If a business owner decides to take someone to court, the 'reviewer' will have to prove what was said was true. All the same, the business would have to show the comment was defamatory and that they have suffered financial loss as a result.

Mr Jenkins advises that you can written report the review to the operator of the site, such equally Google or Facebook, post-obit their normal reporting steps but generally no activity will be taken unless the comment breaks general firm rules.

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Do you trust online reviews?

What often happens, according to the lawyers at DAS, is that businesses reply to a review with their version of events and it will be up to the readers to consider both sides and make their own minds upwardly.

When are the courts involved?

The next phase is a more than direct arroyo. A letter from the business outlining the reasons for considering the review to be defamatory should be sent direct to the author of the review, threatening legal activity if the review is non immediately removed.

If this fails, it is time to seek court intervention and a courtroom lodge to compel the author of the review to remove it or face prison and/or a fine. If successful, it is highly likely that the author of the review would also exist ordered to pay the legal costs associated with the claim.

People tin can choose a place to swallow based on reviews online

"In many cases, a bad review may not be terribly dissentious and may well be negated by positive reviews," says Mr Jenkins.

"However, in extreme cases where the reviewer is unjustifiably defaming the reputation of your business, and so information technology may well exist advisable to have a more robust arroyo.

"At HardingEvans, we have worked with clients in taking activity against third parties for defamation.

"It is always worth an initial discussion to explore options – the damage that tin can be caused by a defamatory review is frequently irreversible only it tin can be limited with swift and forceful activity against the reviewer."

How much would bounty be?

There is no cap on the damages that tin be awarded in court and the amount would depend on the level of financial loss suffered. The legal costs will depend on how long the example took to resolve and this can sometimes be years.

Holly Heath, a solicitor at DAS Law , said: "Similar many aspects of law, common sense and truth are the watch-words. Whilst you're entitled to express your views and postal service your opinions, be enlightened of the potential bear on this may have on the hotel or business you stayed at.

"If your review is non truthful and has a negative financial impact, then your review could exist considered libellous in a court of police force."