It sounds like a bad joke, but it’s reality. Stewart M. enjoyed using dating apps until he noticed that his contacts in a Facebook group were gossiping about him. He has now filed a civil lawsuit and wants to collect $2.6 million because the gossip ruined his love life and his professional life. The group is a local branch of the Facebook group “Are We Dating The Same Guy?” The idea is that in groups “For Women Only” women can warn others about “liars, cheaters, abusers” and other “toxic” existences. The first group was founded in New York City in 2022. There are now more than 200 in the USA.
Kelly G. got the ball rolling. She exchanged messages with M. and spoke to him on the phone once. And then probably leave a negative review. He was rude. In an interview she said: “I don’t want my girlfriend to date someone like that.” That should now cost them 2.6 million. Other women joined in, some who knew M., others just gave their comments. The wording is not known, but given the trend on social networks, it cannot be ruled out that the dating candidate was mocked.
The women are now accused of “conspiring to damage the plaintiff’s reputation” and discriminate against him as a man. An important factor is that he did not join the group and was therefore unable to counter the allegations because he did not know them. That sounds extremely absurd, but is it really? If the members had commented in this way about an AirBnB or a restaurant, the lawsuit in the USA would be anything but hopeless.
M. is not the only man who has sued women from the “Are We Dating the Same Guy” group. Nikko A. argues that the negative comments about him and an involuntary outing violated anti-doxxing laws and his right to privacy. Doxxing means that his real name was used without his consent. His lawsuit is also aimed at the companies that give the group space. His argument therefore differs. He accuses the operators of accepting negative comments about thousands of men without checking the facts.
Jeff Lewis, a defamation attorney, told CBS that anyone can sue another person for what is said online, but that doesn’t mean they will win. “The best way to avoid being sued for what you say on the Internet is to only say things that are true or reflect opinions. However, if you stray from the truth or opinion, there is a risk There’s a good chance you’ll get sued if it’s something negative.” This is indeed a fine line, and the nuances of the wording are important. The first woman was lucky; she was removed from the case by the court after a hearing.
