SLAPP
Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation — a defamation or harassment suit filed primarily to silence a critic by drowning them in legal fees.
SLAPPs typically have weak legal merit but high cost to defend. Their goal isn't winning — it's making criticism prohibitively expensive. Common targets: investigative journalists, activists, ex-employees, online reviewers. Defenses vary widely: about 30 US states have anti-SLAPP statutes that allow early dismissal and fee-shifting, but there is no federal anti-SLAPP law. The EU's 2024 Anti-SLAPP Directive provides cross-border protections. For journalists, the existence of a SLAPP statute in the jurisdiction often determines whether risky investigative work is even attempted. See also: chilling effect, defamation.