In 2021, a couple targeted by Tattle Life users complained to the website and in 2023, commenced a case for defamation in Belfast’s High Court, obtaining default judgment and damages. Following a further court hearing this month, they publicly revealed the identity of the website’s anonymous owner, having resorted to private investigators in their effort to unmask the individual.
The website is one of many forums now offering a place where people can post purportedly anonymous “gossip” about influencers and celebrities. The practice is also popular on social media websites like Reddit and Instagram with whole sub-Reddits, threads and accounts dedicated to the practice.
Although this activity is advertised and defended online by users as mere gossip, the judge in this case found that it was anything but and said:
“They (the claimants) have both been grossly defamed and severely harassed by these posts. The destruction of reputation and the harassment has caused very severe upset and distress.”
Going on to find the website’s motivation was solely commercial, the judge added:
“This is clearly a case of unpeddling untruths for profit”.
The claimants were awarded £75,000 each for general and aggravated damages, and £75,000 each in exemplary damages making a total of £300,000. They also received an indemnity legal costs order.
It is reported that the couple also obtained a freezing order over the website’s lucrative advertising revenue of £1,077,173 in an effort to enforce the damages award against the owner, an English citizen reported to be living in Asia.
The judge criticised the slow nature of the process by which the claimants were forced to seek justice:
“This should not happen and there should be a speedy way to get to the bottom of these incidents with a view to closing these sites down and preventing such online vilification and abuse being perpetrated over a significant period of time and even being perpetrated after court proceedings have been issued.”
Those affected by abusive or harassing ‘gossip’ threads are often met with a lack of response from the sites involved, many of which are based in the US. Legal action is often the only effective recourse in these cases.
Read the judgment on damages and further reporting.
His practice covers privacy, defamation, data protection, confidentiality and other information laws and litigation. He advises individuals and corporations on the publication of material in any format, whether by newspapers, online, social media or television and film.