Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation verdict should scare social media users
The implications are chilling. Based on the jury’s finding, any time someone posts a link or references a defamatory story with even a few (nondefamatory) words of approval, they have published a defamatory statement. According to the jury, Heard’s statement merely summarizing the article without reference to Depp or her relationship with him was enough to count as “republishing” it, which creates a major setback for the #MeToo movement, and social media users generally.
