Rise in defamation cases in UK ‘linked to social media disputes’

One British law firm said it has dealt with a 90% increase in defamation cases since since 2018, featuring all of the main social media platforms (Tim Goode/PA)

Disputes on social media have been blamed for sparking a rise in defamation cases brought before UK courts.

The number of defamation lawsuits handled by the Queen’s Bench Division of the British High Court has almost trebled from 112 in 2016 to 323 last year, the country's Ministry of Justice data shows.