GoFundMe campaigns, JustGiving pages, and similar crowdfunding platforms are increasingly used to spread false allegations against named individuals and businesses. When a campaign describes you as a fraudster, an exploitative landlord, or an abuser — and invites thousands of people to donate based on those false claims — defamation law provides a remedy.
Crowdfunding Pages as Publications
A crowdfunding campaign page is a publication in exactly the same sense as a social media post or news article. Where the campaign description contains false statements of fact that identify a specific person or business and damage their reputation, the legal framework of the Defamation Act 2013 applies in full. The fact that the platform is designed for fundraising, rather than commentary, does not affect the analysis.
Who Is Liable?
The primary defendant is the campaign organiser. Anyone who shares the campaign with additional defamatory commentary may also be liable as a secondary publisher. Media outlets or influencers who republish the campaign's allegations create fresh publications with their own liability. The platform itself may be liable as a secondary publisher if it has been notified of the defamatory content and fails to act.
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Getting a Campaign Taken Down
Crowdfunding platforms have reporting mechanisms for false or misleading campaigns. A formal solicitor's letter citing the Defamation Act 2013, the Electronic Commerce Regulations 2002, and the platform's own terms of service typically achieves suspension of the campaign far more quickly than a user report alone. Where the platform fails to act, a court injunction can compel removal.
Financial Remedies: Damages and Account of Profits
Where the campaign has raised money on the basis of false allegations about you, you can claim both compensatory damages for your reputational harm and an account of profits — requiring the campaign organiser to disgorge any money raised through the false allegations. This is a powerful remedy in cases where the crowdfunding campaign has been financially successful.
Related reading: Suing for defamation on social media | Defamation compensation | Someone spreading lies about you
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