US state guide
This guide is general information about the law in Connecticut, checked against the sources listed below on November 1, 2026. It is not legal advice. Laws change and every case is different: for advice on your situation, speak to a licensed attorney in Connecticut.
01Defamation law in Connecticut
Where the law comes from
Defamation in Connecticut is a common law tort made up of libel (written) and slander (spoken). To make a basic case, a plaintiff shows that the defendant published a defamatory statement to a third person, that the statement identified the plaintiff, and that the plaintiff's reputation was injured as a result. Statutes add specific rules, such as the filing deadline, a limit on damages in some libel cases, and the anti-SLAPP motion.
Sources1Murphy v. Rosen, 351 Conn. 120 (2025), Connecticut Law Journal, Jan. 21, 20252Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-5973Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-237 and annotations
Is defamation a crime?
Connecticut repealed the old criminal provisions in Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 53-169 to 53-180, a group that included a libel offense. Defamation itself is handled as a civil claim, although some harmful online conduct can still be a crime under the stalking, harassment and intimate image laws.
Source4Conn. Gen. Stat. ch. 943, §§ 53-169 to 53-180 (repealed)
Statute of limitations
A libel or slander lawsuit must be filed within two years from the date of the act complained of. The same deadline applies to written and spoken statements.
Defamation per se
Connecticut recognizes libel per se: a statement whose defamatory meaning is clear on its face. In those cases the law presumes harm to reputation, so the plaintiff does not have to plead or prove it. Falsely accusing someone of a crime has long been treated as libelous per se, and the Connecticut Supreme Court has noted that a statement tied to a person's profession can sometimes be actionable even when the same words would otherwise be opinion.
Sources1Murphy v. Rosen, 351 Conn. 120 (2025), Connecticut Law Journal, Jan. 21, 20253Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-237 and annotations
Anti-SLAPP protection
Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-196a, a defendant sued over speech, petitioning or association on a matter of public concern can file a special motion to dismiss, generally within 30 days after the return date (the court can extend this for good cause). Discovery is paused, and if the defendant makes the required initial showing, the claim is dismissed unless the plaintiff shows probable cause that they will win; a defendant whose motion is granted is awarded costs and reasonable attorney's fees. A 2025 amendment (P.A. 25-77), for cases filed on or after October 1, 2025, also covers certain written statements made by an individual without actual malice about an alleged crime or a discriminatory practice.
Sources5Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-196a (2026 Supplement)1Murphy v. Rosen, 351 Conn. 120 (2025), Connecticut Law Journal, Jan. 21, 2025
Retraction and correction
In a libel case, the plaintiff can recover only the actual damages they specifically claim and prove, unless they show malice in fact or show that the defendant failed, within a reasonable time, to retract after a written request. The request must ask for a retraction made as publicly as the original statement.
Defenses and public figures
To be actionable, a statement must convey an objective fact; a mere opinion is not enough, and context matters when telling the two apart. Statements that are true or substantially true are protected, and so are fair and substantially accurate reports of official proceedings (the fair report privilege), regardless of the publisher's motive. A public official suing over statements about their official conduct must prove actual malice, meaning the speaker knew the statement was false or recklessly disregarded whether it was false.
Sources1Murphy v. Rosen, 351 Conn. 120 (2025), Connecticut Law Journal, Jan. 21, 20256Idlibi v. Hartford Courant Co., 350 Conn. 557 (2024)
02Online harassment, cyberstalking and doxxing in Connecticut
Cyberstalking
Stalking in the second degree (§ 53a-181d, a class A misdemeanor) covers knowingly engaging in a course of conduct of two or more acts, including acts carried out through electronic or social media, that would make a reasonable person fear for their physical safety or suffer emotional distress. Electronic stalking (§ 53a-181f, a class D felony) means using an online or electronic communication service, with intent to kill, injure, harass or intimidate, to put someone under surveillance or target them with conduct that causes reasonable fear of death or serious injury or substantial emotional distress. Stalking in the first degree (§ 53a-181c, a class D felony) applies to repeat offenses, violations of court orders, adults targeting children under 16, and bias-motivated conduct.
Sources7Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-181d8Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-181f9Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-181c
Online harassment
Harassment in the second degree (§ 53a-183, a class C misdemeanor) covers emails, texts, social media messages and posts to online meeting spaces sent with intent to harass, terrorize or alarm, for no legitimate purpose, in a way likely to cause terror, intimidation or alarm. Harassment in the first degree (§ 53a-182b, a class D felony) applies when a person with certain prior felony convictions threatens to kill or injure someone by phone, mail, computer network or another written form of communication.
Sources10Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-18311Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-182b
Doxxing
Connecticut's stalking law covers doxxing. It is stalking in the second degree to disclose a person's personally identifying information electronically, including on social media, without their consent, for no legitimate purpose and with intent to harass, terrorize or alarm, knowing the disclosure would make a reasonable person fear for their physical safety or suffer emotional distress. The law's definition of personally identifying information includes items such as a home address, phone number, financial or medical records, and intimate images.
Intimate images shared without consent
It is a crime to intentionally share intimate images of someone without their consent when the sharer knew the person understood the images would not be shared and the person is harmed (§ 53a-189c). Sharing with one person is a class A misdemeanor, and sharing with more than one person through an online or telecommunications service is a class D felony. A 2025 law (P.A. 25-168) added § 53a-189d, which covers sharing realistic, computer-generated intimate images of an identifiable person without consent, intending viewers to believe they are real, when the person is harmed.
Sources12Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-189c13Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-189d (2026 Supplement)
03Data protection and the right to have content removed
The Connecticut Data Privacy Act gives consumers rights to access, correct and delete personal data that a covered business holds about them, including data the consumer provided or that the business obtained about them. Starting July 1, 2026, the law covers businesses that processed data on at least 35,000 consumers in the preceding year, process sensitive data, or offer personal data for sale; state agencies and nonprofits are among the exempt groups. These rights apply to data a business holds. They are not a general way to remove articles or posts published by other people.
Sources14Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-518 (2026 Supplement)15Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 42-516, 42-517 (2026 Supplement)
04How to remove defamatory content in Connecticut
How to remove defamatory content in Connecticut
A lawsuit is one route, but it is slow, costly and public. Much harmful content can come down sooner through the platform’s own reporting process, a legal notice to the site owner or host, or a removal request to search engines. The right route depends on where the content lives and on the law that applies to it.
Media Removal reviews each case and recommends the fastest route that fits it. Removal always depends on each platform and, where relevant, the courts.
05Frequently asked questions about defamation in Connecticut
How long do you have to sue for defamation in Connecticut?
Two years. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-597, a libel or slander lawsuit must be filed within two years from the date of the act complained of. A lawyer can tell you how the deadline applies to your situation.
Is defamation a crime in Connecticut?
Defamation is handled as a civil matter; the old criminal provisions that included a libel offense were repealed. Related online conduct, such as stalking, harassment, doxxing or sharing intimate images without consent, can still be a crime.
Does Connecticut have an anti-SLAPP law?
Yes. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-196a lets a defendant sued over speech on a matter of public concern file an early special motion to dismiss. If the court grants the motion, it must award the defendant costs and reasonable attorney's fees.
Can calling someone a name online be defamation in Connecticut?
It depends on whether the words state or clearly imply a verifiable fact. In Murphy v. Rosen (2025), the Connecticut Supreme Court held that calling someone a "white supremacist," without more, during a heated political exchange on a town's social media page was opinion, not defamation. The court stressed that the result depends on context.
Does asking for a retraction matter in a Connecticut libel case?
It can. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-237, a libel plaintiff who cannot prove malice in fact can recover only proven actual damages, unless they asked in writing for a retraction and the defendant did not publish one within a reasonable time.
06Defamation laws in nearby states
07Sources
- Murphy v. Rosen, 351 Conn. 120 (2025), Connecticut Law Journal, Jan. 21, 2025
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-597
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-237 and annotations
- Conn. Gen. Stat. ch. 943, §§ 53-169 to 53-180 (repealed)
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-196a (2026 Supplement)
- Idlibi v. Hartford Courant Co., 350 Conn. 557 (2024)
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-181d
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-181f
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-181c
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-183
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-182b
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-189c
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-189d (2026 Supplement)
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-518 (2026 Supplement)
- Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 42-516, 42-517 (2026 Supplement)