Someone Defaming You Online? How to Make Them Stop (Australia)

A former client posts a fake one-star Google review full of lies. An ex-partner writes defamatory posts about you on Facebook. A competitor publishes false claims about your business. A disgruntled employee posts your personal information on Reddit.

Online defamation is devastating — it damages your reputation, costs you business, and feels impossible to fight. But Australian defamation law gives you real tools to make it stop.

What counts as defamation in Australia?

To be defamatory, a statement must:

1. Be published — communicated to at least one other person (a Google review, social media post, email, or website counts)
2. Identify you — directly or by implication
3. Lower your reputation in the eyes of ordinary members of the community

Truth is a complete defence. If what they said is substantially true, it is not defamation. But if they are lying, exaggerating, or stating opinion as fact — you may have a claim.

Step 1: The Concerns Notice (mandatory)

Since the 2021 defamation law reforms, you must send a Concerns Notice before you can sue for defamation. This is not optional — courts will dismiss claims where no Concerns Notice was sent.

A Concerns Notice must:

• Identify the defamatory matter (the specific post, review, or statement)
• Explain how it is defamatory (what false imputations it carries)
• State the harm caused to your reputation
• Request a specific remedy (removal, correction, apology)
• Give them 28 days to respond

Step 2: What happens after the Concerns Notice

If they make an “offer to make amends” (removal + apology + correction), you can accept it or negotiate. If they ignore you entirely, you now have the right to commence defamation proceedings.

What about Google reviews?

Google will not remove a review just because you ask. But a Concerns Notice sent to the person who posted it puts them on formal notice of your complaint and the remedy you want.

Get your Concerns Notice drafted

Claim Done drafts a formal Defamation Concerns Notice for $49. Tell us what was published, where, and how it is false — we draft a notice compliant with the Defamation Act 2005 (as amended) and send it to the publisher. Done in about 5 minutes.

We also draft Cease and Desist letters for ongoing harassment, stalking, or threats — $49 flat fee.