Question

Under the First Amendment,

can individuals openly lie
about others to harm their
reputation?
A. yes, as long as it serves a political
purpose
B. yes, because freedom of speech has no
limitations
C. no, they can be sued for libel and slander

Answer 1

Under the First Amendment, individuals cannot openly lie about others to harm their reputation. They can be sued for libel and slander.

Step-by-step explanation:

Under the First Amendment, individuals do have the right to freedom of speech, but there are limitations to this right. One of those limitations is that individuals cannot openly lie about others to harm their reputation. This is because such false statements can be considered defamation, which includes both libel (written falsehoods) and slander (spoken falsehoods).

If someone openly lies about another person and it harms their reputation, the person who was harmed can take legal action and sue for libel or slander. To successfully sue for libel or slander, the injured party must prove that the statements were false, made with fault (negligence or intent), and caused damage to their reputation.

Therefore, the correct answer is C. No, individuals cannot openly lie about others to harm their reputation without consequences.

Learn more about Freedom of speech limitations