Am I Facing a SLAPP?: Identifying the tools and tactics used by bullies to target free speech

Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) are abusive legal threats and actions brought by powerful and wealthy people against public watchdogs with the aim of silencing them. Due to the high cost of defending a case, public watchdogs can effectively be silenced even when what they have said is accurate and in the public interest. When SLAPPs successfully drive information out of the public domain, it is much more difficult to hold power to account.

But how do you know if you’re facing a SLAPP? Sometimes it is difficult to tell. That is why Index on Censorship is launching our “Am I Facing a SLAPP?” tool. The tool is aimed at supporting anyone who is facing legal threats or actions and wants to know if their experience could amount to a SLAPP. Using a robust methodology developed by leading anti-SLAPP experts, the tool enables users to inform and empower themselves by quickly and confidentially answering a few questions about their experience.

So whether you are a journalist, whistle-blower, environmental campaigner, social media user, writer or human rights defender you can use the tool to understand more about the threats you are facing. 

This webinar will bring together SLAPP targets from across Europe and the US to share their experiences of fighting a SLAPP. This will be followed by a walkthrough of the new tool.

Speakers will be announced soon.

So join us on 27 May for this webinar to learn more about SLAPPs and our new resource aimed at empowering those speaking out in the public interest.

Register here