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Social Media Defamation Takedown Letter

A completed pre-action takedown request identifying publication, reference, serious harm and platform reporting without overclaiming.

Jurisdiction: England and Wales - completed fictional worked example

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Important: This sample provides general legal information only and is not legal advice. Check the law, prescribed forms and signing requirements that apply to your exact jurisdiction and circumstances before use.

# SOCIAL MEDIA DEFAMATION TAKEDOWN LETTER

Date: 19 June 2030

Parties: Maya Shah and Oliver Reed

## 1. Purpose and parties

To Oliver Reed and X Corp's legal reporting channel: I act for Maya Shah, director of Greenbank Kitchens Limited. On 12 June 2030 the account @oliverreed posted, “Maya stole £40,000 from her partners and should be investigated for fraud”, linking to Greenbank and repeating the allegation in replies.

## 2. Facts, scope and terms

The words are a written publication, refer to Maya by name and photograph and present alleged criminal dishonesty as fact. Maya denies the allegation; the accounts, independent accountant's letter and partner statement show that the £40,000 was an authorised director loan recorded in the ledger.

## 3. Process and responsibilities

The post has been viewed about 18,000 times, shared 420 times and caused two customers to pause orders. We presently quantify lost margin at £7,800, while reserving further evidence. This information is provided to explain serious harm under section 1 of the Defamation Act 2013, not to exaggerate a claim.

## 4. Evidence, records and safeguards

Please remove the post and copies under the platform's reporting process, disable further paid promotion, preserve publication and account data, and provide a written undertaking not to repeat the allegation. A platform takedown request is not itself a court injunction and removal is requested without asserting that the platform is automatically liable.

## 5. Review, escalation and outcome

Please identify any factual basis or defence on which you rely, correct the allegation with a prominent clarification and propose compensation for proven harm and reasonable costs. Maya is willing to consider an appropriate apology and ADR, but requires a prompt response because online publication continues.

## 6. Reservations and practical protections

This letter is a serious-harm and pre-action communication, not a final finding. Potential defences such as truth, honest opinion and public interest will be assessed on evidence. Maya reserves a libel claim, injunction and damages, subject to the one-year limitation period and the Defamation Pre-Action Protocol; Norwich Pharmacal relief may be considered to identify an anonymous author.

## 7. England and Wales law and completion

Please reply by post to 18 King Street, Bristol BS2 4AA or email maya.shah@example.co.uk as separate methods. England and Wales law applies. Yours faithfully, Maya Shah, 19 June 2030.

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