With the digital era empowering patients to share feedback online, healthcare professionals now face a growing threat: fake or defamatory reviews. In the recent article by Han et al. (2024), the authors explore how online reviews—whether from genuine dissatisfaction or malicious intent—can significantly influence professional credibility.
As physicians increasingly rely on digital platforms for visibility, even a single misleading review can distort public perception and deter potential patients. Under defamation laws (like IPC Sections 499 and 500 in India or analogous provisions globally), individuals can seek both civil remedies and criminal action for content that is false, published, and harmful to reputation. Importantly, the Information Technology Act further supports victims of online harassment or misinformation through takedown mechanisms and penalties for digital defamation.…
