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Defamation Basics: Online Reviews & Posts

Know Your Rights guides from Legal Hub

A bad review is one of the few legal moments an ordinary person will face twice in a year — once writing one, once defending one. Defamation is publishing something false that harms someone's reputation, and the everyday version lives in reviews, social posts and comments. The honest rules are simpler than the horror stories suggest: your genuine personal experience, stated as your experience, is strongly protected; repeating unprovable accusations is where trouble starts. New Zealand's Defamation Act recognises defences of truth, honest opinion and protected communication, and similar principles apply across common-law countries. This guide covers writing reviews that are both honest and safe, what to do when a business demands you delete a true post, and how to respond calmly if a lawyer's letter arrives. It also carries a gentle caution: reviews of professionals can trigger conduct complaints as well as lawsuits, so the measured word is always the strongest one.

⚡ Free instant check

What you can safely say in an online review or post — the honest rules of defamation, why your genuine experience is your best shield, and how to respond if a business or person attacks you over something you wrote.

Answer 0-10 (10 = the stronger end for every question — no wrong answers). Your answers stay on this device — nothing is stored.

I would just take the loss — 5 — I know the steps and the remedies
I never keep receipts — 5 — Receipts and notes filed as I go
I assume everything is covered — 5 — Limits clear and respected
No idea where to start — 5 — I know the doors and the numbers

Why it matters

  • Defamation is publishing something false that harms someone's reputation, and the honest rule for reviews is simple: stick to your own genuine experience, stated as your experience, and you are on the strongest ground — the law protects honest opinion and substantially true statements, but repeating claims you cannot prove (he steals from customers, she is a con artist) is where reviewers get sued.
  • Truth is a defence, but it is a costly one to need: proving a statement is true takes evidence, and in New Zealand the defences are truth, honest opinion and protected communication — so the practical protection is writing only what you personally experienced and can back with receipts, photos or messages.
  • Online reviews of professionals get an extra layer of caution: tradespeople, lawyers, doctors and teachers have registration bodies with their own conduct rules, and a review that crosses from honest feedback into abuse or unprovable accusation can bring a complaint as well as a lawsuit.
  • If someone threatens you over a review, the honest play is measured: check your own post for anything unprovable and correct it if needed, but do not delete a true review just because a business demands it — offer to add their side if they respond, and if a lawyer's letter arrives, a community law centre or defamation lawyer's brief look is cheaper than panicking.

Your checklist

  • Before you post, write the draft and cut anything you could not prove in front of a judge.
  • Keep it to your own experience: what happened, when, and what the outcome was — with facts, not labels.
  • Use measured language: poor service, unresolved complaint and not as described beat dishonest and scam every time.
  • Keep your evidence: receipts, photos, messages and dates — store them before you post, not after.
  • If the business replies, stay calm and factual in public, and offer a fair update if they resolve the issue.
  • If you are threatened with legal action, get local advice early — community law centres and legal aid routes exist for this.

❓ Defamation Basics: Reviews, Posts and Reputation — FAQ

Can I be sued for leaving a bad review?

You can be sued by anyone who claims your words harmed their reputation, but you are on strong ground when you write your own genuine experience in measured language — truth and honest opinion are defences. The risk climbs when you add unprovable accusations, invent details or repeat other people's claims. Real experiences, real evidence and calm wording keep you safe; rage posts are the ones that end up in lawyers' offices.

Is it defamation if it is true?

No — truth is a complete defence to defamation in New Zealand and most common-law countries. The practical catch is that proving truth takes evidence, so the working rule is to write only what you can back with receipts, photos, messages or dates. If a business threatens you over a true review, your evidence is your shield, and a community law centre can help you hold the line.

A business wants me to delete my review — do I have to?

No one can force you to delete a true, honest review, and giving in to every demand lets bad businesses silence genuine feedback. The fair middle path: re-read your post for anything overstated, offer to add the business's side if they reply, and correct factual errors if you made any. If a formal legal letter arrives, get local advice before you delete anything — deletion can look like an admission even when you were right.

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Every tool answers instantly from our own knowledge and calculators — no AI wait, no account. Plain-language, educational general legal information about the everyday basics: tenancy and employment rights, consumer guarantees, police and your rights, privacy law, defamation and online reviews, neighbour law over fences, trees and noise, a simple contract review checklist with red-flag scoring, buying a car privately with a real-cost check, debt payoff planning, dispute resolution options compared by cost and time, community legal help and JP services, small business legal basics, a sole trader vs company structure check, copyright basics for creators, family law with a kind hand, wills and powers of attorney, and the honest risks of DIY legal documents. Each tool states its limits plainly: this is general information, not legal advice, laws vary by jurisdiction, and for a real situation the tool points you to a lawyer or community law service. Nothing you type is stored. Results are estimates and learning aids, not advice. Want the deeper, personalised version? Each has a $2.95 full report.

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Educational general legal information only — not legal advice, and never a promise about any outcome. Laws vary between countries and states, this hub does not know yours, and the everyday basics here are starting points, not answers for a real case. For your situation, see a lawyer, a community law centre or the right free service — the tools point the way. Refunds honoured.
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