In December, a jury ordered Rudy Giuliani to pay $148 million for defaming election workers.
AdvertisementThese extraordinary judgments are the result of a combination of factors, but social media plays a major role, legal experts said.
While in the past, high-profile figures may have been less willing to make defamatory statements, social media can actually provide an incentive for them to do so.
Jones also stood to gain from spreading conspiracy theories about the Sandy Hook shooting, according to Mattei.
Lieb added it's not that any statement made on social media will automatically carry major consequences, but that the size of the person's audience makes a huge difference.
Persons:
—, Donald Trump, Jean Carroll —, Trump, Rudy Giuliani, Alex Jones, Sandy Hook, We've, Chris Mattei, Jones, Mattei, Infowars, it's, Andrew Lieb, Lieb, Giuliani, Carroll, John Jones
Organizations:
Service, Business, Carroll, Trump, Dickinson College
Locations:
New York