Online Harm, Privacy and Reputation

Overview

Online harm is a fast-moving cross-disciplinary area. Civil routes include defamation, harassment (PHA 1997), misuse of private information, and UK GDPR claims under s.168 DPA 2018. Criminal routes cover malicious communications, stalking, intimate image abuse, and (since OSA 2023) cyberflashing, threatening communications, and the false-communications offence. This cluster maps the routes by the type of harm.

Pillars

Topic hubs

Journeys

Routes

Templates

Tools

Forums

Law updates

When to get advice

For online harassment causing fear of violence, ring 999 first. For defamation, take specialist media-law advice — there's a strict 1-year limitation under s.4A Limitation Act 1980. For data breach distress claims, specialist DP solicitors work on CFA terms.